


I Don't Want You Like a Best Friend

by screamingintosilence



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Elmax!friendship is my fav, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, High School, Kinda, Lots of Angst, M/M, Mileven, Shameless Smut, Slight Period-Typical Homophobia, Smut, They're 17, Underage Drinking, Underage Sex, Will is a happy boy, all consensual, dress by taylor swift, jopper mentioned, slight ooc Max, slight ooc mike, they are popular, tons of friendship fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-02-05 07:11:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12789459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/screamingintosilence/pseuds/screamingintosilence
Summary: "Inescapable, I'm not even going to try. And if I get burned, at least we were electrified."El has angst, Max is the best friend we all want, Mike did something really dumb 4 years ago, and now it's time to get drunk and confess all. It only gets hotter from here.or I listened to Taylor Swift and this is what happens.There will be smut between 17-year-olds, you have been warned.





	1. Chapter 1

“So what are you going to do about Wheeler?”

I glanced over my shoulder at Max, who was flipping through the rack of clothes behind me. Turning back to the lipstick I was looking through, I tried to brush her off with a “What about him?”

“Seriously El? You’re my best friend. I’ve known you for almost four years now!”

“Ok? So?” I tried out the red lipstick. I usually stuck with light pink, since Hopper would throw a fit over anything else, but we had just finished our junior year at Hawkins High and I was feeling adventurous. _As adventurous as one can be about lipstick when one’s father is the police chief._  I rolled my eyes at myself. I was as straightlaced as they came, something which Max constantly liked to tease me for, ever since I came back for good. I was sick of it and I wanted a change.

“I don’t understand how the hell you two aren’t together,” I heard her grumble. “C’mon, El. Everyone and their mother can see that you guys belong together!”

I huffed. “Max, you were there when he threw, like, the biggest fit about us not being boyfriend and girlfriend.” Yeah, three and a half years ago and that still stung like a bitch. 

......

It had been a few weeks after the Snow Ball of ‘84 and Hopper had let me stay at the Byers (before him and Joyce were a thing) with the whole party. It was the only other place I was allowed before my year of confinement was up and I could start high school with everyone. 

We had all just been hanging out and the boys had found out about our kiss. Lucas’s and Dustin’s favorite thing was to tease Mike, so this was like hitting the jackpot. They teased endlessly about us being together and how we were as good as married, and whatever else 13-year-old boys tease about. I had been blushing the whole time while Max was petting my arm to try and reassure me that it was all in good fun. 

Mike, though, was having none of it. After about 15 minutes of continuous teasing from the two, he finally snapped. “El and I are NOT boyfriend and girlfriend! Would you two assholes shut up already?! We’re just best friends, jesus fucking christ! El, tell them we’re not dating!”

His eyes were begging me. “D-dating?” That was still a word I hadn’t really learned yet.

“It means together, like Nancy and Jonathan. Tell them how we’re just friends. Please! Tell them how we’re just best friends!” He was pleading with me now.

Finally grasping what he was say, there was a tight pang in my chest and I could feel my eyes slightly moisten. _So I was wrong. He doesn’t like me like that. It was just as best friends._ Emotions were tearing me up inside, but I couldn’t let any of the others see, especially Mike.

“Uh, ye-yeah. We’re, um, we’re just best friends, guys,” Mike was nodding at me and it felt like my heart was breaking. _Don’t let it show,_ I chanted to myself.

“See! Now can we please just watch a movie or something?”

“Yeah, yeah, lovebird,” Lucas threw up his hands. “Just don’t make it Poltergeist again.”

Will rolled his eyes at the other three boys and turned to me from where he was seated on my other side. He leaned in to whisper, “They’re all idiots, El. 13-year old boys don’t know how to act around girls. I mean, just ask Max. We basically stalked her when she first got here.”

Max was nodding in agreement and whispered back, “He’s right. All of them were being total creeps, and Mike was rude as shit - given it’s because you were gone - but the boy can be a real dummy for someone so smart.”

I appreciated their reassurances and was trying to take subtle deeps breaths in through my nose and out through my mouth to keep the tears at bay. “Uh, I, uh, have to use the bathroom. I’ll be back.” I whispered as I squeezed both of their hands to try and convince them that I was fine before getting up and locking myself in the bathroom.

I let the tears come for 5 minutes as I sat on the edge of Will’s bath tub before I heard knocking on the door. “El? It’s Mike. Are you ok in there?” I could hear the worry in his tone and knew I couldn’t let him see me like this.

Wiping my eyes up and trying to sniffle my nose as quietly as I could, I tried to make my voice sound as normal as possible “Yeah. Just don’t feel good. Must have been Eggos.” I make my way to the sink and turn on the water as cold as it would go. I had seen on one of the episodes of _Days of Our Lives_ that cold water reduced puffiness of the eyes or something.

After giving myself another minute or two to try and look normal again, I opened the door to see Mike leaning against the wall opposite. When he saw me, he reached out to hold my hand, but I flinched back. Trying to cover it up, I rubbed my stomach and made a grimacing face.

He scratched the back of his neck instead, asking again if I was ok, sounding sheepish. After nodding and mentioning how I probably should eat more than just Eggos, he gave in with a nod of his head.

When we got back in the living room, I curled up into Max’s side, hugging her arm with both of mine. She gave me a look in surprise, since that was normally something I only did with Mike, but I just shook my head looking at her with big eyes. She sighed, understanding me, because next to Mike she was quickly becoming my best friend. She patted my hair and leaned her head on mine, focusing back on the tv.

I could see Mike out of the corner of my eye looking over at us, slightly distressed. He was sitting next to Will who happened to be in-between us. I saw Will nudge him and heard him whisper, “It’s probably just women stuff. Like what Nancy goes through once a month. She’ll be fine.”

I saw Mike’s nose crinkle and he shuddered a bit, before nodding and turning back to the tv. I didn’t know what Will had been talking about, but I could always ask Max or Nancy at another time. I appreciated that Will bought me time, though. Hopefully it was enough to at least let me come to terms with my feelings being one sided.

......

It had been enough. Over the next week, I avoided Mike as much as possible, which he thankfully didn’t find suspicious due to Will’s explanation. I let myself have that week, and then decided to lock all those feelings up in a mental box and try and bury it as much as possible. I didn’t want to lose Mike as my best friend, so I would just let things be how he wanted. I also didn’t want to make anything awkward with the party, so I did my best to act as if I wasn’t pining over Mike until it became second nature.

We would still hold hands and he would walk around the halls with his arm slung over my shoulder once I started school with them. He’d give me little pecks on the top of my head, since he towered over me now. And I’d give him quick pecks on the cheek. The guys and Max would tease us good naturedly about how “Are you guys sure you aren’t secretly dating?” and there was constantly a rumor going around about us being together, but true to my part I would roll my eyes with him and we’d laugh it off.

He was my best friend. He owned my heart and he didn’t even know. All our innocent gestures further solidified my love for him, but it was something I could never admit to. We had been toeing the line for 3 years now and he was still calm and sure as ever in our friendship, while never knowing that my heart still went erratic every time we touched. 

It didn’t help at all that Mike really grew into his looks in high school. Puberty hit the boy hard, and man did it almost destroy my façade. He might still be a nerd, but looks can truly help one’s popularity. Girls would constantly be trying to get him to notice them; how he never did is something I still don’t understand. 

And to be honest, all the boys came out of it on the winning side of growing up. 

So did Max. She was a stunner. If it wasn’t for her steady relationship with Lucas that started after that fateful Snow Ball, she’d have guys begging her for a date. Not that she didn’t anyway, but after Lucas took up baseball, most guys didn’t want to even try messing with her.

I came out literally plain Jane. As much as Max tried to tell me otherwise, I know it’s a lost cause. The girls in our grade would constantly tease me about how plain I was and how they didn’t understand why my friends liked me. It lessened a bit when Max actually punched one of them in the face after gym one day. She had smugly said how much it was worth it once she got out of her week suspension. The boys wouldn’t stop talking about how epic it was and how they wish they could do the same, but since they were boys… I may have rolled my eyes at that.

So with Lucas’s popularity from being on the baseball team, and Mike’s heartthrob looks they were an easy win to become student body vice president and president respectively for our upcoming senior year. Dustin’s and Will’s skills at campaigning didn’t hurt either.

The summer had started and Mike’s parents were gone with Holly for the weekend on some trip to Kiddieland or somewhere. Mike had won them over in letting him stay home, using Nancy coming back from college as his excuse. In reality, Mike Wheeler was planning to throw an all out, incoming-seniors-only party. This was a far cry from the Mike Wheeler I first met, but I guess wanting to have the full high school experience and now being the student body president, he had this air of confidence that 13-year old Mike Wheeler would be in awe of. 

We also lucked out with Joyce and Hopper taking mine and Will’s newest little sister to our grandma’s and going away for the weekend. Without the chief of police breathing down our necks and with Steve promising to buy us alcohol (after a ton of begging, puppy dog eyes and maybe some guilt tripping on Dustin’s part), it was the perfect storm of events. Nancy and Jonathan had even promised to stay out of our hair, planning a movie night with Steve at Steve’s house.

All of this is why Max and I are currently at the mall shopping.  She had insisted that we needed new outfits for this type of thing, “I want to stun Lucas. I want his jaw to drop and I want him drooling.”

I made a face at this. “Max, you already have the boy hook, line, and sinker.” (Dustin had taught me that saying.) “Hell, you guys have already done it!” She had told me about how they had sex down by Lovers’ Lake last July, not sparing me any details no matter how much I begged. Lucas was my unofficial brother, like Dustin. I so didn’t need to know all that about him, but Max just laughed at me, _“You’re so innocent and pure, Ellie. Someone has to corrupt you.”_

Shuddering at the memory, I finally walked over to where Max was flipping through the dresses, if you could call the tiny scraps of fabric that. “When’s the last time I could dress like this for him? I love him, and I love teasing him,” my nose crinkled at her explanation.

“So gross. I don’t need to know this.”

She laughed, “Oh, c’mon. You’re my best friend. Who else am I going to talk about sex with?”

“I don’t care! Not me! Knowing it’s Lucas that you’re letting bone you makes me want to vomit.”

She just smirked, “You’re one to talk, Miss I-want-Mike-Wheeler-to-pound-me.”

Flushing in embarrassment and glancing around quickly to make sure there wasn’t anyone close to us to overhear, “Oh my god, Max, shut up! No I don’t! We’re _just friends_! How many times do I have to tell you?!”

“Mm-hm. The starry-eyed gaze you guys give each says otherwise. You guys are literally sickening.”

“I have no clue what you are talking about.” I knew I sometimes looked at Mike like that, I couldn’t help it, but there was no way he looked at me the same. That’s just wishful thinking. _Really wishful._

“Ellie,” she was the only one besides Hopper ever allowed to call me that. A fact that she relished. “You’re my best friend. I know you better than you think. You like him. Fuck what he said after Snow Ball, the boy is stupid, all boys are. He was just embarrassed. But if there was one thing I know about Mike Wheeler, it’s that that boy would lay down his life for you. He would walk through the seven pits of hell just to make you smile. Jesus christ, he already threatens every boy that even thinks of looking at you.”

My eyebrows pulled together in confusion and I glanced up from the dresses I was looking through to face Max. “Ok, now I really have no clue what you are talking about. Boys don’t look at me. Outside of group assignments almost no other boy has ever even talked to me. Just plain ol’ Jane, remember?”

She glared at me, “I love you Ellie, but God you are being stupid right now.”

“Hey!”

She grabbed my hand over the clothing rack and dragged me over to the closest mirror. Putting her hands on my shoulder to make me face it, she stood behind me. 

“Look at yourself, El. Really look. The reason all those bitches try and say that you’re plain is because you’re fucking beautiful, with or without make-up or ‘stylish’ clothes, and that makes them jealous and bitter. You have the school heartthrob hanging on your every word, and quite literally hanging on you, that they would kill to be in your place. Wheeler looks at you like you put the stars in the sky. He knows how amazing and gorgeous you are and that’s why when the QB last year, Tony Hill, was going to ask you to homecoming, Mike threatened him and made sure that everyone knew you were his date.”

“He only asks me because he’s my best friend, he probably just doesn’t want to have to deal with the hoard of screaming girls who want him to ask them.”

Max started shaking me by the shoulders, “I. Want. To. Strangle. You. Right. Now! El!”

“Max!”

“He loves you! My god the boy couldn’t be more in love with you!”

“You’re crazy!”

“Am not! I’m going to prove it to you!”

“Oh yeah? How are you going to do that?” I gave her my best skeptical look.

She glared back at me in the mirror, “The party.” She then grabbed my arm and dragged me back over to the dresses, furiously flipping through them until she found one that seemed to appease her. Still having a strong hold on my arm, she pulled me over to the fitting rooms, shoving me and the dress in one and closing the door.

My eyes flitted over the fabric. _There is no way that this qualifies as a dress. It’s basically a shirt._ “Max, what the hell am I supposed to do with this?!”

“Put it on!” her muffled voice snapped at me through the door.

Knowing that I would never win in an argument against her, I shrugged out of my clothes and wrestled with putting the dress on. It was a black, strapless concoction, with cutouts on either side of my waist. Struggling to keep my hands from getting caught, I managed to get it situated pretty much right, but couldn’t finish the zipper. I wrenched open the door to a no-nonsense look on Max’s face.

“I can’t finish the zipper,” I panted out while turning around. She quickly did it up and turned me around, her eyes quickly growing wide.

“Holy shit, El. You’re fucking hot!” she exclaimed. My nose wrinkled in disbelief. “See that,” she shoved me back into the changing room so I could look in the mirror. What I saw looking back at me was a girl who I didn’t recognize. “You have hips! You have an ass! You have boobs!! That’s what’s been hiding under all those old sweaters of Mike’s?!”

“Max, they’re all average size,” I try to calm her. “And I like Mike’s sweaters! They’re comfy. Plus he said he likes seeing me wear them, so he knows I’m warm.”

“Yeah right! Ellie, average on you is like mega gorgeous! Besides, Wheeler is probably just trying to hide that body all for himself.” I was starting to get sick of her making up lies about Mike liking me like that. “You have this perfect face. Your cheekbones are to die for. And you’re petite enough, especially to Mike-skyscraper-Wheeler. And now you have this banging body.”

“Max.”

“You might turn me gay, El,” she laughed dramatically. “Ah, nah. I like my chocolate thunder too much.”

“Gross,” I gagged. She had that starry look in her eyes that she always got when she thought about Lucas, mainly sex with Lucas.

Her eyes snapped back to me. “Ok, you’re getting this dress.” I made to protest. “Nah-ah-ah,” she held her hand up to silence me. “You are getting this, and we are going to make Wheeler eat his heart out. Maybe eat you out, too.”

“Max! Why must you always make it so crude?!” I whined.

“Because, the boys never talk like this around you since they somehow think you’re still so delicate and innocent, and because Hopper is your dad so they don’t want him killing them. Who else is going to make sure you’re prepared?”

“Prepared for what?!” I threw my hands up.

“For when you finally have sex with Mike! I need to make sure you’re safe.”

“Max, I’ve been through health class. Joyce has even given me the talk. I think I’ll be fine.”

“Only the basics. That’s all the ever teach you. Who else is going to inform you of all the other things that happen?!”

“I hope not you. I actually want to burn my brain out for having to picture you and Lucas like that.”

She huffed. “Whatever. We are still getting this dress.”

After another hour of shopping, Max finally found her own dress to wear, as well as heels for us ( _“It’s just a party at Mike’s. Why do we need heels?!” “The Look needs to be complete. Besides, they’re heeled boots, El.”_ God I must have turned her girly), and some new make-up. 

“I want to give you this smokey look. Like Olivia Newton-John’s make over at the end of Grease. It’s going to be amazing.”

“Fine, as long as you skip the hair fluff. I don’t feel like choking on hairspray,” I amended to her.

“Deal,” she squealed, rushing up to the counter to pay for all our things. Her dad, her real dad - not Neil - had sent her a bunch of money for her birthday last week. He was loaded, though Max doesn’t talk about it. _“It happened after my mom left him and married Neil. She didn’t want to wait around for his ‘money-making’ scheme to finally, ya know, make money. Complete bullshit. At least he’s making something of himself now.”_ I didn’t really like her paying for me, but she claimed something about at least she wouldn’t be spending it all at the arcade or on food for the boys. _“Like they need more food. I’m not giving into their growth spurts any more than I already have. Besides, who’s mainly funding this party tonight? Me.”_

Since we still didn’t like hanging out at Max’s house, even with Billy gone, we drove in Max’s cherry red ‘68 Ford Mustang convertible (another present from her dad, but for her 16th birthday last year) to my house. When Joyce and Hopper got married, we all moved into a house over by Dustin’s neighborhood, since Joyce’s old house wasn’t big enough and even considering the cabin or Hop’s trailer was a complete joke. 

The convertible was Max’s pride and joy, as well as all the boys’. When Max had first gotten it, they would constantly demand to be driven around in it, even though we all struggled to fit. I always ended up in Mike’s lap, since he always suggested that would be easiest. Most of the time I would prop my feet up on Will’s and Dustin’s lap so I could lean my head back out the side. The feeling of the wind blowing through my hair was freeing, and Max had taken her role of zoomer pretty seriously.

Lucas obsessed over making sure the Mustang was always maintained and washed, since all he got once he had his license, was his dad’s old town car that Mr. Sinclair was still making him work for. Max didn’t mind though, since it gave her a reason to always be over at the Sinclairs’ instead of her own place when she wasn’t with me or the whole party.

When we finally pulled up into the drive, I spotted Jonathan’s car as well as the beat up Chevy Will and I shared that Hop got from old man Jacobs. They both must be home, probably with Nancy in tow. As we entered, I could hear the tv going and glanced into the living room to see Nancy and Jonathan curled up on the couch together and Will sitting sideways on the overstuffed arm chair that Hop usually sat in.

Seeing us, Nancy jumped to her feet. “El! Max!” She squealed while running over and engulfing us in one of her signature hugs. I had always loved Nancy, she was like the older sister Max and I always really wanted. I do still think of Kali now and then, but always remember how her path was one that I was not meant to follow. Nancy, however, always tried to help guide us and would just be there for us whenever we needed her.

“Nancy! I’m so glad you’re home,” I buried my face in her hair. The only people her hugs didn’t top were Joyce’s, Hop’s, my baby sister Lila, and… Mike’s. _Sigh_. “We missed you so much.”

“I missed you both too! Oh my goodness, are you guys ready for the party?!” she seemed way more excited than us.

“Yes!” Max squealed. _Ok, more excited than me._ “Please come help us get ready?” Max was already dragging us both up the stairs to my room while Jonathan and Will laughed from their places in front of the tv.

Upon entering my room, Nancy bounced onto the bed with Max while I quickly tried to gather all my clothes into a big pile in the corner. “Sorry,” I mumbled.

“El, it’s fine. It’s not like I don’t spend every day with you,” Max snickered. “Ok, it’s 5 now and the party is at 9. That should give us enough time for everything.”

I groaned, “What does everything entail?”

“Well, we need to shower and shave-”

“I did both of those this morning.”

“But did you shave _everything_?” Max retorted. “Bikini line?” her eyebrow quirked as I blushed.

“Oooo! Did my brother finally get his head out of his ass?! Or did El get tired of waiting on the dummy and find someone else?” Nancy quipped from the bed while clapping her hands excitedly.

My eyes went wide as I looked at her, “Mike doesn’t like me like that, Nance! You know that!”

“Sure,” she smirked at me. “And I’m the reincarnation of Cleopatra.” 

“All of you are ridiculous. I give up. And no, there is no guy. Max is just crazy. And I’m not shaving _that_ , Max.”

“Oh yes you are! You don’t know who might want to rip you out of that dress!”

I crossed my arms with a glare, “No one will be ripping me out of the dress. I’ll stab them before they get the chance.”

“Unless it’s Mike!” Max chimed back, shoving a razor into my hand and pushing me into the jack-and-jill bathroom that connected my bedroom to Will’s as Nancy continued cackling from the bed. She was being very pushy today, something I was not appreciating in the least, no matter if she was my best friend or not.

Two hours of grooming that also included facials and nail polish later, and having ingested a large pizza between the three of us, Max declared that all that was left was hair and make-up.

Nancy volunteered to do mine, since Max’s would take her a while, and sat me down in front of an old vanity that Joyce had bought for me from the thrift store, and Hop had painted.

“How about we put some relaxer in your curls so they aren’t so tight, do a side part and put in a small french braid on one side?” Nancy suggested. I had always thought that Nancy’s hair creations turned out great, so I nodding readily.

I could see Max in the mirror, sitting on my bed, using my mousse to slick back the sides of her hair as she pinned it. She then took a teasing comb she had brought and started going to town, trying to give her long red hair some volume on the top. 

“Ok, all done,” Nancy stated in my ear. I looked into the mirror, admiring her work. I had never been that great at doing my hair. Normally I would just throw some mousse in it to make it seem like my crazy curls were intentional and call it a day, since I kept my hair shoulder length to make it relatively easy.

“Thanks, Nance. It looks amazing.” She squeezed my shoulder as I ran my fingers over the braid.

At that moment, Will poked his head through the adjoining bathroom. “El? You decent?”

“You’re fine, Will,” I answered back.

He came into my room and settled himself on my bed next to Max, already ready for the party. “What the hell happened in the bathroom?” he laughed.

Max shoved him, “You’re not a girl. You don’t know the crap we go through to be pretty.”

He flung his hands behind his head as he laid down fully on my bed. “Sure, sure. Just clean it up tomorrow, yeah?”

“Ok, neat freak,” I banter back.

“Hey, I heard at the new kid, Adam, is going to be there tonight,” Max quipped at Will and poking him, making him blush a deep red. “I also heard he’s going to be a lifeguard at the pool this summer,” causing him to blush even further.

Adam had come from a South Carolina beach town, with wavy blonde surfer hair and sea blue eyes. Almost all the girls in Hawkins were in love with him. _Too bad for them_ , I thought as I looked at my step brother lovingly. 

“Heard his hot ass has _never_ had a girlfriend,” Max wiggled her eyebrows at Will as she stuck the last bobby pin into her poof.

“Suck a dick, Mayfield,” Will mumbled. I don’t think his face had ever been more red. 

“Mmm, only my chocolate thunder,” Max smirk.

Nancy, Will and I all made gagging noises. “That’s absolutely disgusting. I need to bleach my brain after that,” Will retorted as he climbed off my bed. “She obviously has some plan, and that’s why her comments are dirtier than normal,” he said as he looked at me and I shrugged as nonchalantly as I could.

“You are right, Byers,” Max smiled devilishly in my direction. “I have a fantastic plan which involves your beloved step sister and our very own heartthrob, Michael Wheeler.” Nancy was just giggling beside me as Will frantically glanced between Max and me.

“Yes!” he pumped his fist. “This is _so_ happening! I’m sick of hearing them be gooey and try an deny this shit!” He hi-fived Max and lifted me into a bear hug.

“No, no, no, no! Nothing is happening because there isn’t anything besides platonic feelings between Mike and I. You all know this! Ugh!” I sat back down on the stool that I had been on when Nancy was doing my hair, with my arms and legs crossed.

Will kneeled in front of me, rubbing my arms and looking much more serious. “Elle Belle, you know we love you. You know that Max and I saw how much you were hurt when Mike was being an idiot. And you know we’ve been there every step of the way for you guys. Now, you might have been trying to deny it ever since then, but all three of us in this room can see how much you still like him.” _That was the understatement of the year._ “The three of us have watched how Mike is around you and how deeply he cares for you. Maybe you’re just blinded by words said 3 and a half years out of annoyance, but we can see how crazy that idiot is about you. Tonight, you need to stop being passive Jane and grab that boy by the balls and tell him how it’s going to be.”

My hands were shaking so bad and I could feel tears starting to track down my face. I wanted to believe them, but all the self doubt I’d held for years felt too much to overcome. Nancy bent over and wiped my tears away, stroking my cheek. All I could think about was how much I wished it was a different Wheeler.

“Tonight-tonight I’m going to need a drink,” I finally stammer out. 

This of course caused a cheer to go up from Max as she pulled a handle of vodka out of her bag, “Yes! Finally El!” Will and Nancy looked on in amusement.

My eyes went wide, “Where the hell-”

“I took it from Billy’s room. Mom and Neil never go in it and he must have left it by accident when he left for California,” she shrugged. 

If my eyes could have pop out of my head, they would be right now. “You went through his stuff?!” I gasped out.

“Yeah, figured it was time. The asshole hasn’t been back in 2 years, so I doubt he’ll be back tonight or any time soon.”

“Ooh, Red. You’re a badass,” Will snorted. Max flipped her middle finger up at him before shoving the bottle into my face.

“You. Take a swing. And a full swing, not a half-assed sip, we’re trying to start the night off right.” My nose scrunched up in distaste at the thought.

“Wait!” Nancy ran out of my room and I could hear her pounding down the stairs and then sprint back up them seconds later before bursting back in with the carton of orange juice in her hand. “You can’t not let her have a chaser. This is El we’re talking about, Max.” Max nodded in agreement, twisting the caps off both before returning to shoving the bottle and juice carton into my face once more.

“Drink up, girl.”

Knowing I was on the losing side - one does not win against Max, ever - I grabbed both and tried to keep from gagging from the stench of vodka. “I want to puke already.” 

Will took the juice carton out of my hand and put it on the vanity behind me. “Here, now just plug your nose when you drink it. It’ll make it easier.” 

Nodding, I pinched my nose with one hand and tilted the bottle of vodka back with the other, taking a sizable amount into my mouth. As I started to tip it back down, Will quickly switched the alcohol for the juice as I swallowed the liquid in my mouth down and tilted the contents of the carton into it. I choked it down as I unplugged my nose, sputtering and coughing at the intense burn in my throat and belly. Max let out a whoop as she grabbed the OJ and vodka, taking her own turn as Will patted my back with a slightly concerned grin.

“How do people enjoy that?” I asked bewildered, staring at Max throwing both back easily without making a face before handing them off to Nancy.

Will shook his head with a laugh, still rubbing my back. “Oh, El,” Nancy answered after taking her own turn. “Come college, this will become second nature. Trust me,” signaling to Will that it was his turn.

“I think I’m ok if it never does. I think I’ll stick to wine,” I shook my head vigorously. Will and I had snuck in glasses of wine and eggnog whenever Hop hadn’t been looking during the holidays over the past few years, but I had never had anything this hard, especially straight.

Will  took his turn, reacting much like me, but at least he didn’t have to hold his nose to get it down. “God, this stuff is rough Max.”

“It was Billy’s. Are we really surprised it’s not some fancy shit?” she rolled her eyes as she capped the vodka and juice, stowing the former back into her bag. “I’ll save the rest for later, when I’m intoxicated enough not to taste it.”

“You’ll need to be blacked out for that,” Will retorted before clapping his hands together. “Well, I want to see El’s get up before I head over to make sure those idiots actually have everything set up.”

Three pairs of eyes turned to look at me and it felt like I was a deer caught in the headlights. Max snapped around to our shopping bag, pulling out more than just the dress and heeled low top boots we had bought, shoving several scraps of fabric into my arms and shoving me back into the bathroom. 

I let everything drop to the ground before picking through it all. “MAX! What the fuck is this shit?!” I yelled through the door and was met by her laughter. She poked her head around the bathroom door.

“Well that,” she responded, pointing to the red underwear in my left hand, “is a thong. And that,” pointing to the black fabric in my right, “is a garter belt. And those,” she pointed to the rest of the pile at my feet, “are stockings and a hot ass lace bra, if I do say so myself.”

I glared at her. “You’ve been planning this! What the hell am I supposed to do with all of these?!” I gestured wildly.

She stared at me blankly before giving me a grin so evil, the devil would be terrified. “You’re supposed to wear them. And yes, I have been planning this. Do you know how long I’ve waited for the perfect opportunity to make my best friend realize her potential? Years! Now chop chop.” She swung the door closed again.

I stood there, staring at all the pieces of fabric in my hands and on the floor for a few minutes more before Max knocked on the door, startling me from my contemplation. “I know you’re nervous, but would you please just trust me?!”

I let out a sigh. Max could be trouble sometimes, but her heart was always looking out for mine. I did want to be adventurous, after all, so looks like I’m getting my wish in the most unexpected way.

Slipping on the bra and underwear, _this so doesn’t qualify_ , I turned my attention back to the garter belt and felt at an extreme loss as to what to do. “Max?”

She poked her head around the door once more, eyes going wide. “Damn, girl. I think Wheeler is going to have an aneurysm over you.” Huffing at her, I held out the garter belt.

“Help? How the hell do I work this thing?” I asked with a slight panic.

She snorted while grabbing it out of my hands. After a minute or two she finished getting it around just above my hips. Indicating the straps as she handing me the stockings, she said “You secure the tops of the stockings with clips.” I nodded as I slipped the silky material up my legs.

“Why do I have to do all this?” I sighed.

She put her hands on my shoulders. “Look at me, Ellie,” as she tilted my chin so my eyes met hers. “You are the baddest chick I know. You have quite literally saved us and the world ever since you were 12, several times over, in fact. You might not talk about sex, or really drink alcohol, but you’ve kicked ass.” She reassured me as I started rolling my eyes. “I look up to you. No, really. You’re my best friend, and the fiercest, most loyal person I know. You don’t have to fucking do anything that you don’t want. If you don’t want this, then fuck whatever I say. You should only do it if it would make you happy. I just want you, and everyone else in this fucking place, to get their heads outta their asses and realize what an amazing, stunning, punk chick is behind the ‘prim and proper Jane Hopper’. I might put on this punk, skater, badass persona, but you actually can own it. I just want you to be confident and stop hiding behind ‘Mike Wheeler’s best friend’. You’re his girl, you need to realize that he is yours and you’re not going to let giggling girls fawn over him when all his attention is on you. I want to see the El Hopper that walk back through that door that November night. That badass punk chick that travelled to Chicago and back on her own, saved all our asses from the goddamn demo-dogs, and closed a huge fucking portal. The girl who wasn’t afraid to tell Mike Wheeler that she was always on the other side of his calls, and that she would always come back to him. I want to see the girl I know you’ve kept locked away after the douche was the biggest wastetiod in the whole world. I want my confident best friend, who’s not going to take shit from anyone, not even the guy she’s had a crush on for almost 5 years.” 

I pulled her into a tight hug, sniffling from the tears she caused, “God, how do I deserve you Mayfield?”

She squeezed back, “Well, you saved my ass several times over, so it’s more of how do I deserve you, Hopper?”

I let out a watery laugh, “It’s a good thing you didn’t do my makeup yet.” I rested my cheek against her shoulder as she patted my hair.

“Yeah, otherwise I would kill you for messing up my masterpiece,” she joked.

The knocking on the door startled us both as Will’s voice drifted through the wood. “Did El fall into the toilet? C’mon, I have to make sure the incompetent fools are doing everything right.”

“And you need to make the jungle juice for me!” Max yelled back.

“Then hurry the hell up!”

Max wiped the tears from my cheeks as I took a deep breath to calm myself. “God, I hope I’m not a huge emotional drunk,” I laughed.

She patted my face, “I’ll kick who's ever ass needs kicking if I see you crying.” I giggled at the thought.

“Ok, ok,” I finished putting on the stockings, taking a look at myself in the mirror. Feeling a huge burst of confidence from seeing the vixen staring back at me, I felt better about this scheme. Stepping into the dress, I turned so Max could zip up the back and I slipped on the heeled booties.

Looking into the full length mirror that hung on the back of my door, I could see the straps of the garter belt peeking out from the mini-dress. Fixing my hair to the side, Max put her chin on my shoulder and her hands on my upper arms. I smiled at her and then at my reflection. “Eat your heart out, Mike Wheeler.”

Max squealed, wrapping her arms around me before pushing me out the door and into my bedroom.

Both Will’s and Nancy’s jaws dropped as the took me in.

“If you weren’t my sister, this would be way better. Damn, El. I don’t think I should let you out of this house!”

“If my brother doesn’t have a brain hemorrhage from looking at you, then I don’t know what is wrong with him. You’re going to have almost everybody in the house wanting to date you once you walk in the door.”

“Mike’s going to cream his pants,” Will added, making Nancy gag at the mental picture while punching him in the arm. My face flushed at their words.

“We still have to do makeup. Go on over to the Wheelers, Will. Just make sure not to even drop a hint about El! I want it to hit him like a train,” Max was giving a grin the Cheshire cat would be proud of.

“Do you want me to tease Lucas, though?” Will smirked.

“Oh hell yeah, go for it!” she hi-fived him before turning back to me.

“See you guys in an hour or so!” Will waved as he walked out the door.

“Ok, Sandy make-over time,” Max smiled, turning to me.

An hour later, with help from Nancy, Max had completed a dark, sensual, smoky look for both of us and then ran to the bathroom to also change.

“Do you still have that leather jacket I gave you last year?” Max queried, opening my closet to rifle through my clothes. “Ah ha!” she pulled it out, holding it up triumphantly.  She threw it my way and I slid the cold fabric over my arms. “Now you are perfect,” she proclaimed.

Grabbing her own jacket out of her bag, she threw it on. “I declare us ready!”

“You guys look amazing!” Nancy squealed. “Stay here,” as she ran out of the room once more in search of Jonathan’s camera. After a few minutes of searching, she returned. “Now, pose! Give me your best Madonna pout.”

Both of us stared broodingly into the camera as Nancy snapped away. “These are amazing!”

We heard the phone ringing, quickly followed by Jonathan shouting up the stairs, “El, Max, Will is saying you guys are already 30 minutes late and that the house is filling up fast!” We glanced at each other slightly panicked. We hadn’t realized what time it was. Sure enough, the time on the clock read 9:30.

“Shit!” Max yelled, gathering up her bags and my purse, dragging me by the hand down the stairs and out the door.

“Bye!” “Have fun!” Jonathan and Nancy yelled after us, with an added “What the hell are you wearing, El?!” from Jonathan that I chose to ignore.

Jumping into Max’s car, she revved the engine before reversing out of my driveway and peeling down the street. It was only a 5 minute drive to the Wheelers, and thankfully it looked like Will had saved us a parking spot. He waved us into a spot in the Wheelers’ driveway before jumping out of the way of Max’s ridiculous driving.

“Jesus H Christ, Mayfield. I didn’t plan on dying tonight,” he quipped at her from the driver’s side door. She just smirked and turned to me before pulling out a tube of lipstick from her purse.

Holding it up, she smirked, “I almost forgot. I saw you eyeing it at the store. You have to wear it, it’ll really tie the whole thing together.”

I pulled the cap off of the scarlet red lipstick she handed me and glanced at her with wild eyes. She just nodded and made a hurry-up motion with her hands. Pulling the visor of the passenger’s seat down, I quickly applied the color, making sure that it didn’t smear. Max was applying her own shade of red next to me. She looked over at me once she was done, “Irresistible. Let’s go, Hopper,” and we jumped out of her car, my stomach in knots over what was to come.

Will put an arm around each of our waists to guide us inside, but not before James Montgomery from the football team yelled out, “Damn baby, you are looking fine tonight! Let me get a taste of you!” Still feeling extremely confident from Max’s pep talk earlier, I flipped him off.

“Fuck off, Montscumrey!” Max yelled, disgusted. “Shut your fat mouth or I’ll cut your balls off and feed them to old man Merrill’s pigs!” Max was always frightening when she threatened people.

James threw up his hands in defense and muttered “Bitch.” I made sure to trip him with my powers when he tried shuffling away. Will smirked and Max hi-fived me as we continued our way into the house.

I could hear the beginning notes of _Jessie’s Girl_ by Rick Springfield before a burst of excited screams went up from the girls in our class. Making our way through the front door was a challenge, but we were met by Steve in the foyer.

“Mayfield! Small Byers! Small Hop-?!” Steve suddenly stopped as he took in what I was wearing. “How the hell did you get out of the house like that?!”

“Parents aren’t home, duh!”

“Jonathan let you out like that?! Do I need to talk to him again about what you can wear?!”

Max rolled her eyes, “Can it, Harrington! El can wear whatever she Goddamn wants!”

“She’s barely wearing anything!”

“Get over it, Steve,” Will nudged him. “Not worth the fight.” Steve made an upset noise. “Besides, you’re holding up your movie night with Jonathan and Nancy.”

Steve glanced at his watch, his eyes going wide with panic. “Shit! Shit! Shit! See you dipshits later! Be semi-responsible!” he screamed as he pushed passed us out the door.

We laughed and turned back to making our way through the crowded house to find the rest of our friends. People started looking at us in awe, parting as we passed. Knowing this, I felt an ego boost, though it didn’t calm the butterflies in my stomach at all. I clung to Will’s bicep so no one could see how bad my hands were shaking.

As we made our way to the kitchen, people seemed to stop talking, staring at us instead. The music seemed to get louder without so many people talking over it. I could see Mike’s dark hair over the crowd because he was so tall. He was standing at the island, looking like he was pouring some jungle juice into a cup and arguing with Lucas as Dustin stood by. 

Dustin was the first to see us and with how few people were talking, I was actually able to hear him yell, “HOLY SHIT!”

Lucas’s and Mike’s heads snapped up to us. I didn’t pay attention to Lucas’s reaction, though, as all my attention was trained on Mike. He dropped the cup he was holding back into the tub they were using for the cocktail, his jaw dropping with it and eyes going as wide as saucers. 

I felt Will nudge my side, and I managed to choke out, “Your face is going to get stuck like that, Wheeler,” and gave a small smirk, before grabbing the cup he had been filling and downing its contents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should be writing my other story, but here I am.. Please leave a review. There will be smut in the coming chapters, I know I teased it here. Please leave your hate at the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drink, drank, drunk.  
> Warning: very slight homophobia mentioned right at the beginning. That's it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR ALL THE AMAZING FEEDBACK. You are all amazing and I am planning to respond to you all soon!

“Damn! How did Byers score two of the hottest chicks?! I thought he was queer!” I heard someone yell from the direction of the living room. Will just rolled his eyes and I let out a snort as Max tossed her long hair over her shoulder before walking into Lucas’s arms.

“Holy shit, my girlfriend is the hottest thing alive,” Lucas exclaimed before proceeding to completely forget his argument with Mike and begin what looked like devouring Max’s face. They are so grossly cute. _No one needs to see that much tongue Lucas._

Dustin punched Mike’s arm to try and get him to come to before turning to me and enveloping me into one of his signature Dustin bear hugs. “Elle Belle! Don’t you look ravishing tonight?!” he said with a dramatic flair. I slapped his chest playfully as my nose scrunched in amusement.

“Lay off, Dustin. Isn’t there a certain Betty Jones, president of the drama club, that you should be bothering tonight?” I teased him with a smile, chuckling as I saw him blush.

“N-no,” his voice breaking high at the end. Clearing his throat, he tossed his head dramatically before looking at me, “I have already captured a beauty in my arms, why would I need someone else?” I tossed my head back as a bubble of laughter broke from my lips.

I could feel arms pulling me out of Dustin’s and my favorite voice grumbling, “Find your own best girl, Henderson.” The heat pooled in my belly and it felt like my body had erupted into goosebumps and butterflies.

Dustin just snorted and rolled his eyes, “El isn’t exclusive to you, Wheeler,” adding in a head tilt for good measure and a wink in my direction which caused me to blush in turn.

The fever of my face wasn’t helped at all by the fact that Mike’s hands were holding me by my waist and my back was flush with his chest. _His toned chest_ , I thought as I acknowledged that working for Mr. Eugene at his farm this past year had really helped in that department. His fingers were touching my bare skin through the cutouts and I couldn’t hide the tiny shiver that ran through me as it felt like my body was going up in flames.

Feeling the shiver, Mike leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Are you ok?” Not trusting my voice, I just gave a small nod as I tried to get my breathing under control. Mike’s thumbs brushed my waist in what I’m sure he thought was a comforting gesture, but it didn’t help the erratic fluttering of my heart.

Max had finally pulled back from sucking face to check to see how I was faring and saw my wide, panicked eyes. Flouncing over to me, she pulled me from Mike’s grasp, subtly steadying my shaking knees by slipping her arm around me. “Yeah, Wheeler. If anything, El is _my_ best girl,” she smirked as Mike just rolled his eyes.

“Oh please. You’re way too busy sucking off Lucas’s face like some sort vampire half the time. Everyone always thinks of ‘Mike and El, El and Mike’ not ‘El and Max’,” he huffed in annoyance. 

“As if. First of all they think ‘Jane’ not ‘El’, dummy. And second of all, in what capacity do they think of ‘Mike and El’ over ‘El and Max’?” her eyebrow was raised, daring him to respond. Instead he made a noncommittal noise and crossed his arms. This caused me to raise my eyes to the ceiling before tilting my head to Max with a see gesture. She gave a subtle shake of her head, refusing to give this up.

“Well, since you can’t answer me, I can have her back. Ooo, El! Tequila! Let’s go!” she pulled me to where the various liquor bottles were stationed on the kitchen counter, near where Will was standing. “Will, grab the limes and salt,” Max ordered as she started looking through the cabinets for where Karen Wheeler kept her shot glasses. 

Upon finding them, she pulled the stopper from the tequila bottle, pouring out six shots to split between the three of us. She handed Will and I each two glasses, grabbing two wedges of lime each for me and her.

“Ok, so it’s really simple, El. So you lick and put salt on the back of your hand - or wrist if you rather - then when you’re ready you lick the salt off, drink the shot, and then bite lime,” she instructed me as she salted her wrist and Will salted his hand. I took the salt shaker from his outstretched hand as Max whispered in my ear, “Do your wrist. It’s a good tease.” I gave her a skeptical look. “Trust me.”

I shook my head but decided to heed her advice because why not? Either way, I was on my way to becoming drunk, so I was starting to drop my inhibitions.

“Ok, one, two, three,” Max counted and we licked, sipped, and sucked our way through the first shot, my face once again screwing up at the burn of alcohol sliding down my throat.

“Damn, baby. That was hot!” Lucas yelled across the kitchen from where him, Mike, and Dustin were still standing, looking at us. Max just winked and waved her fingers at him, practically eye-fucking him, before turning back to me. Pulling my head close to her’s she whispered, “He’s practically undressing you with his eyes.”

I glanced over at Mike and sure enough, I could basically feel the heat coming off of him in waves, crashing over me. His gaze felt like the most intimate caress, the heat from the liquor and his stare pooling lower than my belly. My thighs squeezed and my lips parted, desperately trying to suck in air.

“Round two!” Max shouted, as if she needed to be heard over the music. As I went through the motions of taking the second shot, I kept my eyes locked with Mike’s. If possible, his gaze intensified as I slowly licked the salt off my wrist, threw the tequila back, and sunk my teeth into the flesh of the lime. I saw his nostrils flare and his eyes widen, the burn of the liquor not even fazing me. He shoved himself off the counter he was leaning on and started stalking towards me.

“Jane, right?” A huge body cut into my line of sight, forcing me to glance up into the face of Jake Jeffries, captain of the hockey team. He was definitely one of the more good looking guys in our class, he even had his own group of snow bunnies that would follow him around, desperate to go out with him. He was a huge presence, but not my type. I smiled politely and nodded, “Yeah, that’s me.”

“You’re friends with Dustin?” I nodded once more. Dustin played goalie for our high school team, which thankfully didn’t conflict with his love for the drama department. He had fallen in love with hockey when Steve had taken him to Indy to see our state’s Double-A team play one time a few years ago.

“Yeah. He talks about you a lot. Says that you’re a hell of a cool chick.” I just stood by politely, trying to act like I was actually interested in whatever he was saying. _Damn me and my politeness_ , I thought as he placed his hands on the counter behind me, blocking me with his body and the counter. I tried leaning as far back from him as I could, but it was a fruitless task. I could smell the beer on his breath.

I wasn’t used to this sort of attention and my body felt frozen in place as he lifted one of his huge hands to try and stroke my face. A hand shot out, grabbing his wrist before he could touch me. “Don’t even think about it, Jeffries,” Mike’s voice cut through my frightened haze. “How many times do I have to threaten you meatheads? She not yours or anyone else’s.” His teeth were clenched and I could see Jake’s hand turning red from cut off circulation.

“How about we actually let the lady decide for herself for once Wheeler? You can’t always claim her.” Jake snapped at Mike, trying to grab Mike’s shirt with his other hand. Max was there in a flash, twisting his arm behind his back, causing him to cry out in pain.

“Now, now, Jeffries,” Max hissed as I looked on in confusion and fright. “I thought I told you last time you got a little too close to a girl who wasn’t interested that I’d make damn sure that the next time, your swimmers would be swimming with the fishes.” Max was down right scary. Jake’s eyes widened at the reminder. “You thought I don’t take me threats seriously,” she flashed the switch blade she always carried on her from her experiences with Billy, causing Jake to start sweating bullets.

“Now I put too much time into looking good tonight, so I don’t feel like getting blood all over me, or seeing your disgusting, hairy balls, but my good friend Mike here might not feel as inclined to not go to the police chief with claims of sexual harassment against his daughter.” Jake was sputtering and desperately trying to pull away from both of them. Mike’s eyes were blazing fire and ice at the guy, making sure he knew damn well he was more than willing to do such.

“I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Ok? I just came out to have a good time. That’s it, I swear!”

“Yeah? That’s it? I think you owe Jane an apologize, asswipe,” Max bit back, her hair like a fiery halo around her.

“I’m sorry, Jane! Really, I’m sorry!” I just nodded my assent, nervous what my friends were doing. A lot of attention was already being turned our way, and I just wanted this whole situation dissolved.

“Get out of my house,” Mike said through his clenched teeth, shoving the heavier male into the direction of the front door. He kept his eyes trained on him until he was out the door and then tilted his head at Dustin, silently asking him to make sure Jake was gone. Dustin nodded, rushing out after the guy to check.

Once Mike was sure that was being dealt with, he turned back to me, wrapping me up in his embrace. I instantly felt calmer and more on fire than ever before, shaking what just happened out of my head and recalling the look Mike had been giving me before this whole fiasco.

His hands were stroking the small of my back just above my ass, and my nose smelling his intoxicating scent at the base of his throat. My hands clung to his t-shirt covering his chest as I felt his lips brush my ear. 

“It’s ok, sweetheart,” my legs trembled at the endearment. It wasn’t one he had ever used before, and it made it feel like my heart was going to fall out of my chest. “It’s ok, he’s gone now. Are you ok, El?” I nodded with my forehead pressed into his shoulder, thinking about how he was leaving me breathless. The heady combination of being wrapped up in Mike and the alcohol working it’s way through my system was leaving me feeling hazy.

He pressed a kiss into my hair, like always, but lingered a few seconds longer than normal, not helping my situation whatsoever. He finally pulled away, taking a step back, and moved his hands to my upper arms to keep me steady. “You’re absolutely sure you’re ok?” his eyes searched mine.

“Y-yeah,” I let out a small giggle. “Tequila, ya know?” He brushed his thumb across my bright red cheek before dropping his hand as his face flushed.

“Yeah, tequila.” Was it me or did his voice change into something huskey and smokey? My thighs were being permanently squeezed together. _This boy is going to be the death of me._

“Yeah, tequila!” Max cheered from next to us while giving me her most innocent, wide eyed stare. _Yeah, right._ “Here,” she shoved another cup of the jungle juice into my hand. “Nurse this one, lightweight,” she laughed. 

Mike rolled his eyes and slung his arm around my waist, once again pulling me into my usual place by his side. I shivered at the feeling of his hand grazing my bare skin before wrapping my own arm around his waist. While I normally held him here, he would usually only place his arm around my shoulders. _What’s gotten into him tonight?_

We started just wandering around the party, Mike greeting people every few steps and talking and joking with me about our usual shit, as much as we could over the blast of music. Every so often I would feel his fingers stroking my skin instead of just resting and it would cause me to shiver and squeeze into his side. I could feel his eyes on me every time it happened, but I’d force myself to just look around the room and sip at my cup. _Just act normal. It’s fine. It’s just Mike being Mike, not Mike being more touchy than normal._

He had finished 3 cups of beer by the time I had finally finished my one cup of the juice and he kept randomly dropping kisses on my head, which was definitely something that wasn’t normal. We turned from the front room to make our way back into the kitchen, where we assumed all of our friends were still at. The likelihood that Max was still trying to take shots was very high.

Just then, a curly, petite blonde bounced up to us. “Janey! Thank goodness! I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” Betty Jones was a very pretty, bubbly girl in our grade, and just happened to be the girl that Dustin had the biggest crush on.

“Hi Betty,” I smiled at her. She had always been very sweet to me, always talking to me when we had class together. Max thought she was tooth-achingly sweet, not really her style, but acknowledged that it was a perfect fit for Dustin.

“I knew that if I followed Mike’s head I’d fine you next to him!” Even her smile was like cotton candy.

“What’s up, Betts?” Mike grinned at her bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“Gosh, you two are just so cute! Like Max and Lucas, we guys are always with each other!” I blushed at what she implied. Betty was who she was and I couldn’t get mad over her observation. Oblivious to the awkward tension her comment caused, she plowed on, “I need your help, Jane!” Her eyes grew wide, hoping I’d understand what she meant.

“Is it about-” she cut me off with a vigorous nod.

“Can I steal her for a little bit, Mike?” Betty glanced up, since she was even shorter than me.

Mike smiled in amusement, giving me a little push in her direction, “As long as I get her back, Betts.” She grinned widely, grabbing the hand that had fallen from Mike’s side, pulling me in the direction of the stair case. I threw a look over my shoulder to see Mike watching me go with an odd look in his eye. _It’s nothing, El. Get yourself together. Mike’s your best friend. Mike’s your best friend._

Speaking of best friend, I glanced in the direction of the kitchen, managing to lock eyes with Max and tilting my head in the direction of the stairs, widening my eyes for emphasis.

The great thing about us is that we can communicate with just a look, so a second later I could hear Max screaming at people to get out of her way as Betty continued pulling me up the stairs.

“In here,” I pointed in the direction of Nancy’s bedroom, receiving a grateful look from the blonde. “Max is coming too,” I managed to get out before said red head barrelled through the door.

“More like, Max is here,” the firecracker responded. “Betts! You made it!” Max pulled the smaller girl into a hug. Huh. Max must have definitely done shots since she’s normally only that touchy with Lucas or myself.

The blonde girl was stunned, but being a touchy-feely person herself, her immediately reciprocated.

“I hope it’s ok I crashed your guys pow wow,” Max giggled.

“No, totally fine!” Betty gushed. “I mean, you two are the only ones that could help me anyways, and I need all the help I can get.”

Max and I were now both sitting on Nancy’s bed, my head on her shoulder and her head leaning onto mine. With how much liquor each of us had, we couldn’t help the giggles that erupted.

“You’re so fucking cute,” Max mentioned to answer Betty’s bewildered look.

I held my hand out for her, “Oh, Betty. Are you crushing on Dustin?” She nodded as her face started looking pink. “Oh, don’t be embarrassed! We just think it’s cute! Especially since we know how he feels about you!” She was starting to look closer to a tomato now, something our giggling probably didn’t help.

“How he feels about me?” she responded quietly.

“Girl! Dustin doesn’t shut up about you!” Max flung herself prone onto Nancy’s bed, trying her best to quell her laughter. “It’s sickeningly cute.”

“Wha-what do I do?” she stammered out.

_Poor girl, this is what I must be like to Max, Nancy and Will._

Max shot up from her position. “Don’t worry! I have the perfect plan!” Oh no. She had that scheming look in her eye. “I already had a plan for tonight to get her,” she pointed a finger at me, “and heart-eyes down there to come clean and get together.”

“You guys still aren’t a thing?!” Betty looked at me wildly. I shook my head in embarrassment. “Crap! I thought for sure you were! I mean, you guys had your arms wrapped around each other, and he was kissing your head, and then that thing about making sure about him getting you back! I thought for sure!”

Max spun to look at me and started slapping my arms. “He. Did. What?! He. Said. What?!”

“Damnnit, Max! Ouch! Quit it!” I tried to fend her off. “It was nothing! It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Yeah, right,” Betty snorted and rolled her eyes, something I didn’t think she was ever capable of. I looked at her like she was crazy. “Oh, c’mon! I see you guys all the time in the halls! You think I couldn’t tell the difference tonight?! I mean, you’re even dressed like that,” she gestured to me. “I thought it was finally a done deal.”

“Nope!” Max popped the p. “This is perfect. I get Ellie and Mike together, and then I get Betty and Dustin together!” She was clapping her hands, being a spastic ball of excitement.

“Ellie? Who’s Ellie?” Betty questioned.

I glanced a Max and rolled my eyes at her for slipping up. “It’s short for Eleanor, my middle name.” That was our go to story for whenever the party called me El. “I never really liked the name Jane, and I’m not a huge fan of Eleanor, but Mike started calling me El one day and it just stuck. Even my dad calls me El now,” I gave her a small smile.

“Ah ok,” she accepted my explanation easily enough. She turned back to Max, “So what exactly does your plan involve?”

“It involves,” then she paused for dramatic effect, eyes flicking between the two of us. “Truth or Dare.”

“The jazz hands are unnecessary, Max,” I deadpanned, crossing my arms. I was not at all liking the sound of her plan, not one bit.

“They are very necessary,” she stuck her tongue out at me. “And you have to trust me, missy,” she stuck her finger into my face which I promptly batted away.

“Max,” I gave a small whine, “what if all your planning and scheming and set up doesn’t do anything and you were wrong and I end up embarrassing myself! I don’t want to lose what Mike and I have on some silly whim of yours.” My breaths were coming fast and I could feel my anxiety breaking through the haze of liquor in my system.

She held my shoulders as Betty grabbed one of my hands, “Breath with me El.” I focused on her, slowly matching my pace to hers and letting the anxiety ebb, but not the fear. “You’re El fucking Hopper. I know you see what I see with that boy, but you are trying to convince yourself that you don’t. Plus, hello, I’m dating one of his best friends. I’m one of his best friends. You don’t think between the other four of us that we are totally oblivious? Have a tiny bit of faith in us, sweetie.” 

I lowered my head, taking in one deep breath before pulling her into my arms and squeezing tightly, “Ok.” 

I know that the four of them definitely had our best interest at heart, but I also knew that they had no clue just how deep my feelings for Mike ran. He was my other half - even if he didn’t know - and I would follow him to the ends of the earth, saving him to the point of death once more if I had to.

“Great!” And just like that, she was back to being a tipsy ball of energy. She grabbed both mine and Betty’s hands and pulled us out of Nancy’s bedroom and back to the direction of the party.

At the bottom of the stairs I could see my favorite four boys milling around with Lucas and Dustin looking to be in a heated discussion and Will busy trying to look through the crowd in the living room. He was the shortest of the guys, so that in itself was a bit of a challenge, but I would bet my meager life savings that he attempting to find a certain new kid.

As we reached the bottom, Max practically tripped into Lucas’s not-completely waiting arms, causing me lose balance on the second to last step. Before I could face plant, however, my favorite arms were pulling me into their embrace once more.

“Woah, I got you sweetheart,” there it was again, his newest term of endearment. My stomach was a riotous mess of butterflies and my legs were once again squeezing to try and relieve the ache I felt as my feet firmly met the ground.

“You seem to be saving me a lot tonight,” I whisper to him as he had bent over to set me down. I could see his face flush, matching my own.

“Well, I have to try make up for all the times you were my superhero,” he whispered teasingly back.

“You don’t have to,” I answered truthfully. “You never have to. I would save you a million times over if I had to and never want a single thing in return.” The booze was definitely giving me a loose tongue tonight, which wasn’t helped at all by the fact that Mike was constantly breaking down my walls.

“That’s one of the infinite things I love about you,” His hands were stroking my waist and his gaze was penetrating me to my core. _What the hell?_

“Is it now?” I whisper back. It was impossible to break away from his eyes. I could feel the goosebumps erupting.

It felt like we were magnets, our breath mingling together and our heads inching ever closer. I couldn’t breath.

“Hey! C’mon!” Max popped up right beside us, causing us to quickly jerk apart. I’m pretty sure I face was on fire under her all-knowing grin. _Scratch that, my whole body is on fire. What just happened?_

“What do you want now, Max?” Mike seemed a bit annoyed at the red head.

“Basement. Truth or dare. Right now. Chop chop! Grab a drink and let’s go!” Max grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the kitchen. My other hand shot out behind me to lace my fingers with Mike’s and drag him along. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, Max’s, Will’s and Nancy’s advice about seizing this moment running through my mind.

I felt him squeeze my hand, following along easily. He grabbed a new cup of beer just as Max shoved a cup of pink wine into the hand she dropped.

“What is this?” I inquired.

“It’s rosé. My mom practically swears by it. She likes sweet wines,” Max’s nose crinkled as if the thought of sweet wine was unappealing to her. “You’ll like it though, since you have a sweet tooth.” That was something I couldn’t deny.

“Now, let’s go!” she directed us down to the basement which thankfully didn’t have anyone other than our group of friends as well as some other kids in our class that we liked. They must have made it down here when I was being lost in Mike. 

I could see Betty sitting beside Dustin and the new kid, Adam, subtly leaning into Will on the Wheelers’ old love seat that had made it’s way into the banished basement. Will was blushing and trying to coolly sip at his drink as if the really hot guy next to him wasn’t totally flirting with him. _Yes! That is so happening._ There were also some kids from the drama club and a few of our other classes grouped into a rough circle on all the random chairs and bean bags that were lingering about the basement.

The only spot open was on the old couch and there was only enough room for a person and a half. Max went to sit on Lucas’s lap while Mike led me in the direction of the couch. He sat down and started to try and pull me onto his lap but I didn’t comfortable with all the other people around us, so instead I sat down on the ground in front of him, his legs framing me. It was a position we were used to, but like everything else tonight, it felt a hundred times more intimate than usual.

I saw him frown a little so I patted his leg in reassurance and he carded his fingers through the loose side of my hair. It was a gesture so comforting and gentle that with all the alcohol already running through my system as a lightweight, I started zoning out.

I could hear Max explaining the rules of this version of truth or dare, and people asking question every now and then. I could hear them going around the circle, asking truth or dare to whomever they chose as their victim. I could hear the laughter at unexpected answers and the exclamations over silly dares. I could hear it all, but I wasn’t processing any of it. 

The only thing I could focus on was Mike’s fingers in my hair and his legs on either side of my body. At one point I believe I actually pressed a kiss into the side of his knee and heard a sharp intake of breath, but I couldn’t tell if I had imagined myself being that daring or not.

I continued sipping at my wine and zoning out. _Mmmm, this is good wine._ I couldn’t even taste the alcohol in it, from how tipsy I was. I finally came to when I heard Max yell my name from her perch on Lucas’s lap.

My wide-eyed gaze swung to her in the middle of me taking another sip of wine. This of course caused everyone in the circle to let out burst of laughter at my expense and I could feel Mike’s fingers stroking my hair as I felt him shake a little in laughter as well.

“Truth or Dare, Ellie?!”

My eyes still wide, I swallowed the bit of wine that was in my mouth and choked out, “Dare.” I didn’t want to be spilling out any secrets in front of all my friends, especially since who knew what might come out of my mouth when inebriated.

Her smile was wicked and I almost immediately regretted my decision. “I dare you,” her finger tapped her lips as if she was contemplating what to make me do. My eyes narrowed since I knew she had been cooking up something ever since she even got Mike to agree that hosting a party was a must.

“I dare you to go into the bathroom with Mike and tell him how you really feel.” Evil. I felt nauseous and wish I could set myself on fire as I heard everyone in the circle let out an “Oooooo”. Fucking asswipes.

I struggled to stand up without spilling my cup and marched my way to the basement bathroom while sticking my middle finger up at Max. I could hear Mike scrambling to get up from the couch and follow me.

Stepping into the bathroom brought back a flood of memories for me. I heard Mike enter behind me and close the door. We were silent for a moment or so.

“Remember that first night you found me?” I whisper without turning to face him. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. _Christ, I am an emotional drunk. Fuck._ “I was a scared, lost, sopping mess,” I let out a watery laugh, wiping away a tear that had escaped. “I had that ridiculous buzzcut and I tried to strip in front of you, Dustin, and Lucas.” My mouth tilted up at the memory. “You didn’t even question it when I refused to let you close the door. You just accepted it as fact, making sure I felt safe and didn’t try and push me.” I turned to face him after wiping away a few more tears.

“You were beautiful,” he told me earnestly, his eyes sincere.

“God, you’re so fucking tall,” was all my drunk mind could fully process in that moment.

“Ok,” he stepped around me and sat on the edge of the tub. “Here, now you don’t have to strain yourself,” he gave me one of my favorite smirks. “Seriously, El. That night, I made the best decision of my life bringing you in. Honest to god, it even trumps asking Will to become his friend. Don’t tell him I said that!” his eyes went wide and I laughed.

“How drunk are you, Wheeler?” I ask him with a smile as I try to control the shaking of my hands.

“Enough to do things I wouldn’t normally do, but not enough to not remember everything that could happen tonight,” he answered honestly.

My nostrils flared at the possible implication. “What could happen?” I couldn’t bring myself to look in his eyes.

He held out his hand to me and I grabbed it. “C'mere,” he started pulling me towards him. The action didn’t fully compute from my brain to my feet and I felt myself start to trip forward as his hand let go of mine so that he could use both to steady me.

“Oh!” My free hand gripped his shoulder as some of the wine spilled out of the cup and into the bathtub behind him. His hands were on my hips, but since they were so big, I could feel his fingers resting on my ass. The air felt like it had been sucked out of me.

He was tall enough that even sitting on the edge of the - albeit high lipped - tub, his face was still even with mine. I was drowning in his eyes.

I felt his hands slide lower and around to grip the backs of my thighs, right below my butt where there was only skin because of the stockings not reaching that high, and he pulled me in closer. We were chest to chest now, and there wasn’t any air left in my lungs.

“El?” I heard myself make a noise in the back of my throat. “How do you feel about me?” he was reminding me of the whole reason we came in here in the first place, as if I could forget.

I couldn’t breath. Oxygen was a luxury I couldn’t afford at the moment.

“El? Sweetheart?” the world just stopped and all there was was me and Mike, my lips just inches from his as I continued to drown in his eyes that were almost pitch black now. 

_Now or never._ “I-I… I don’t want you like a best friend,” I whispered before shooting my hand to the back of his head and pressing my lips against heaven, my eyes fluttering shut as I saw sparks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry it took me a while to write and post this chapter! The first one had taken a few days to write, as did this one. But unlike the first one I had so much going on between my boyfriend's sister's birthday one day, and then my brother's birthday the next, AND THEN Thanksgiving.... yeah, it's been crazy.  
> But thank you for following along on my crazy journey! I'm thinking the entire work will be about 4 or 5 chapters. It's taking on a life of its own that I wasn't expecting when I had set out to write it, but I actually enjoy the development of it.
> 
> Please let me know what you think! I've already started working on the next chapter. ~Hopefully~ it won't take as long.  
> xo.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Antici.... _PA_...tion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the amazing responses to the first two chapter! You guys actually had me crying in the middle of Walmart on Black Friday, so congratulations. Thank you for your patience!!!!!!!  
> Onward.

I could hear the sizzle and pop of the lights going out, our only source of light now coming from the tiny basement bathroom window. Mike’s lips moved against mine as his grip tightened on my thighs before one hand shot up and tangled into my curls.

I moaned into his mouth as his tongue started brushing against my own as my lips parted, granting him entrance. My hand that was resting in his hair tighten to grip it as I let my cup of wine crash into the tub. My now free hand grabbed onto his shoulder as I tried to bring myself even closer to him, if it was even possible.

I suddenly his felt his hands roaming all over my body as if he couldn't decide where to rest them. It was a miracle we weren't engulfed in flames from the heat between us.

His hands dropped to my thighs once more as he suddenly stood up, lifting me with him so that I was forced to wrap my legs around his waist so I wouldn't fall. We both let out small moans at the new sensation, our mouths still very much connected.

Mike pushed me up against one of the walls to help him keep me up, and his hands shifted to my ass. This assisted in giving him the proper leverage to grind his hardness against my dripping core.

I finally tore my lips from his, throwing my head back and letting out a very breathy moan as Mike decided to continue his assault onto my neck. 

In the back of my mind I registered the surprised yells come from the other room that had followed more popping sounds. I let my subconscious take over my powers so that I wouldn't black out the entire Wheeler house because of everything Mike was causing me to feel.

None of this really distracted me from the sensations my best friend was creating in me in the least. Gripping his hair with both of my hands, I pulled his delicious mouth back to mine, fusing us together once more. 

The two pecks we had shared years before, while sweet, were nothing in comparison. Years of patience and waiting, building anticipation, and repressed feeling were crashing over us, drowning us in bliss. There was absolutely no way I could ever go back to being his best friend. _At least if he doesn’t end up wanting me after this, I would still have gotten a chance to touch the stars._

That thought caused me to pull back, though Mike didn’t notice my slight shift into panic. He pushed against me even more, to the point where I was no longer sure where he ended and I began, and rested his forehead against mine while panting to draw in much needed air.

His eyes were still closed in bliss, committing all we had just done to memory. He let out a breathy “Holy shit, sweetheart,” causing me to feel like a melted puddle of goo. “Holy fucking shit,” his large hands were still squeezing my ass, a feeling that I would gladly live with for the rest of my life. His hardness continued pressing into my core. _If only I had the power to vanish clothes_ , the image flitted across my mind. I had nothing else to compare it to, but Mike felt large and the thought made me squeeze him with my thighs.

His eyes shot open, instantly connecting with mine, leading me to drown in their depths. “How long?” I looked at him in confusion. “How long, El? How long have you been keeping your feelings from me?” his eyes were pleading me.

 _Friends don’t lie_. “I-I… It-it’s grown over time.” As much as I desperately wanted to look away, his eyes held mine in place.

“Baby, please,” he was desperate. “How long, El?”

I continued staring at him, letting a few heartbeats pass as blood rushed in my ears. “Forever,” I finally concede with a whisper.

His eyebrows scrunched together as his eyelids fell closed and he let out a strangled noise, his hands gripping my hips as if afraid he was going to lose me. The feeling was no longer one born out of sexual tension, but rather out of sorrow of lost time.

“God, I’m a fucking idiot. I was so stupid. I thought-I thought I knew you so well, that I was your best friend and could read you like an open book. I thought that this thing between us was all you would ever want,” his voice broke.

I stroked my thumb over the crease between his brows, “Mouth breather,” I agreed, letting out a small laugh. He responded with a far more self-deprecating chuckle. “I thought that _you_ felt that way about _me_. After what happened at Will’s after the Snow Ball….” I couldn’t finish, my one hand still fiddling with his curls.

His eyes bore into mine. “That was the dumbest shit I’d ever done, which is saying something since I’ve done a lot of stupid shit. I’ve regretted it everyday since. I knew I upset you, but I was just so fed up with Lucas and Dustin, and being a fucking dumb preteen who still wasn’t sure how to act around girls, I didn’t even know how to go about apologizing. And then I had let a week go by, and by that time you seemed fine and made it apparent that all we were was friends. W-well, apparent to me, I guess.”

My hand stroked over his freckles. “Well then, we were idiots together.” It was slightly difficult to see in the darkness, but Mike was my sun and I had him memorized. I let my fingers drop from his cheeks to trace over his swollen lips, the memory of what has caused them to be so burning me from the inside out.

He brushed tiny kisses over the tips. “Together,” he breathed. I could feel the fire reignite between us, but I knew there was still so much left unsaid that we needed to get out in the open before getting carried away.

I unwrapped my legs from Mike’s waist as he reluctantly set me on my feet once more, his hands maintaining their hold on my hips. 

“I always thought the only reason you didn't date was because you just wanted to get through high school and then get out of this town and find a nice girl at college,” I whispered while stroking one hand back and forth across his chest.

He let out what almost sounded like a small purr at the sensation, his eyes closing for a brief second before locking me into their intensity. “Never. No girl in the world can compare to you, El. I don't care that we're only 17 and we have our whole lives ahead of us. I know that you are my beginning and end; I don't want to experience all life has to offer if you aren't by my side.” 

My heart stuttered at the passion behind Mike's words. I glanced into his eyes right as I saw a look of panic and realization take them as he stammered out, “I-I mean, of course, if you h-have someone else, o-or find someone else, I would never stand in the way of your happiness.” 

_Oh, Michael Wheeler, you adorable idiot._ His words forced me to recall what Max had been talking about earlier at the store, as well as the weird line Jake said: “ _You can’t always claim her_ ”. I decided to torture Mike about it for a bit, because I admittedly found it extremely cute when he was disconcerted.

“Outside of class projects guys don’t talk to me. Actually, Max said something weird about that today,” I tapped my bottom lip with my forefinger as if trying to remember what it was she had said.

“Y-yeah?”

“Yeah, something about… Oh, what was it now? You threatening them away?” I gave him a look with my eyebrow raised, a small smirk on my face.

Even in the darkened room I could see him looking properly flustered, a blush overtaking his freckled cheeks as he raised an arm to scratch the back of his neck. “A-ah,” was all he could get out.

I stood there, silent and bemused, letting him stew in his embarrassment a little longer. He might very well be the love of my life, but he was also my best friend and I couldn’t help enjoy putting him through his paces.

“Any reason that might be?” I prodded him, one hand still resting on his chest. I had to deliberately keep myself from laughing at the panic in his eyes since he truly did look like a deer in the headlights.

“Shit. El, I’m so s-sorry. The guys and Max all said I was being really stupid about it, but I couldn’t, well I couldn’t help myself. And, and if I had to watch you walk around the halls with someone else… I was just really selfish, just a really selfish fuck. And I’m such a fucking fool! The whole party would give me shit about it but you’re just so goddamn beautiful, El. And I tried to justify it since I knew all the guys in our school would never be good enough for you, but shit, I’m nowhere near good enough for you! You’re perfect, and gorgeous, and beautiful, and my favorite person in the entire world, and you’re so fucking badass! You’ve literally saved me more times than I can count. And you’d have to hide your powers from any mouth breather that wanted to date you, and that’s so unfair to you!” Mike’s panicked rambling made me unable to keep in my laughter. His arms were waving wildly, hands pulling at his hair so it stood on end.

I figured the best way to shut him up was to kiss him again, so going onto my tiptoes and wrapping my arms around his neck to pull him down to me, that’s just what I did. He was surprised at first but quickly responded, kissing me with years worth of pent up passion, hands stroking down my back. My fingers quickly found their way back into his soft curls. Before we could get out of hand, however, I pulled back as Mike let out a noise of protest which I giggled at.

“Michael Wheeler, you’re my best friend. Yes, you were a complete dumbass, and yes, threatening off other guys without telling me was definitely uncool, especially when you know that I can handle myself.” He looked properly abashed and started down at his feet. “But I can’t picture my future without you, and honestly after what just happened, there is no way we can be friends.”

I could tell he was blushing hardcore as he glanced up at me, devastation on his face. “What? Why can’t we be friends?” I raised my eyebrow to him, trying my best to wait patiently as he grasped what I was trying to say. _Max was right, you really have to spell it out for guys._ “Wait, do you mean….?” he trailed off.

Keeping my eyebrow raised, I crossed my arms over my chest with a huff. “Really?! Well, I wanted to be asked first.” Apparently drunk El was emotional, but drunk and horny El who just had the guy she had been crushing on for years admit his feelings was extremely confident. _Max would be so proud_ , I thought derisively.

The dots seemed to finally connect through his hysteric haze, his mouth falling open with an “Oh!” And then he was scrambling, cupping my face gently in his hands and pulling our bodies flush once more, his fingers lightly stroking into edge of my hair as my hands untangled and gripped his hips. “Jane Eleanor Hopper,” I snorted at his use of my _legal_ name and a wide grin broke out on his face. “Eleven, El, sweetheart, I was beyond stupid for the last almost 5 years. Stupid about a great many things, but especially about us. And I desperately wish I hadn’t been, but I woke up just in time. Or, rather you woke me up,” he let out a small chuckle. “Can you forgive me?” I nod. “Would you-would you please be my girlfriend? No more rumors, no more bullshit. One hundred percent.”

My heart was in my throat but I somehow managed to get out a small “Yes,” before we collided in passion. It felt like my world was on fire and I was all too happy to get burned. We wrapped around each other so intensely, it felt we were trying to become one being. 

I felt the surge of electricity running through my veins as we suddenly heard commotion of feet and voices from above us, breaking through our moment. We pulled apart, looking above our heads as if we could see through the floorboards before breaking out into laughter. I tapped into my powers once more, bringing them back under control. 

Mike brought his forehead down to mine and nuzzled our noses together. “Maybe we should wait until later when I don’t have dozens of high school seniors in my house,” he mused.

I giggled, staring into his sparkling depths, my emotions still soaring from giddiness. “Maybe you shouldn’t cause my emotions to go haywire,” my fingers found the spot on his side that I knew well, tickling him and making him twist away in laughter. We were both smiling so hard, our cheeks were hurting, but I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world.

“Babe,” he wheezed out between laughter. “El, please! Mercy!” I let up, still laughing hard myself.

When our laughter finally subsided, I began tracing a finger over his freckles as he wrapped his arms back around me. “You seem to have a lot of pet names for having only asked me out two minutes ago,” he blushed in response.

“Uh, yeah…” seemed like I would have to pry this out of him.

His fingers were stroking my skin through the cutouts, so I could tell that while he was embarrassed, he was definitely not ashamed. “So what changed tonight?” I was desperately curious, something that has always stuck with me since the very first night with him.

I could feel his cheeks heat even more under my fingers. “Well,” he paused as if to gather all his thoughts. I gave him a look as if to say _Friends don’t lie_ and he nodded before continuing, “I might have taken a few whiskey shots before you and Max showed up tonight. And then seeing you in this dress, and other guys touching you… I don’t know, I guess I just finally got the balls to call you what I always do in my head. I just wanted you to finally know, but I guess without you to force it out of me, I was still too shy to actually _do_ anything.”

I didn’t respond, content with just watching his handsome face, admiring his features. “Oh, god. If you hate them though, I’ll totally stop. I don’t want them to be demeaning or, or seeming like I’m trying own you or debase you to just a pet name or some shit,” he was panicking again, our uncharted territory something he was so very unsure of and severely afraid of messing up. “It’s just, well. I just look at you, and I see forever, and I just can’t help thinking of you as my puzzle piece, and everyone else can call you El or Jane and I guess I just wanted something different and-”

My finger falls to his lips, silencing him. “Mike, I understand,” my mouth breaking into a small smile as he let out a small chuckle over the reminder of the first time I had ever said that to him. I placed a small peck on his lips.

“We should probably get back out there before they start getting crass,” he motioned in the direction of the door and our friends who were on the other side being surprisingly quiet. We felt our way along the wall for the door handle, since the shadows of our bodies blocked the sliver of light coming from the tiny window. I found the handle and turned it, Mike still having a hold on my waist, and pulled open the door, fully expecting _some_ reaction from our friends.

All we were met with was silence. Stepping out into the main basement area, we didn’t hear a sound aside from the muffled noises coming from upstairs. It was dark for some reason, and the area felt _empty_.

“Hello? Guys?” Mike called from behind me. “Guys? We’re done. You can come out or whatever!” _Nothing._

The smell of burnt bulbs finally hit my nose and I grimaced at the acrid stench. “Mike, I think they’re gone.”

“Why would they have gone?” Mike apparently still didn’t realize that I had burnt the bulbs out as I heard his hand sliding along the wall in search of the light switch.

I laughed, “It might have to do with me busting the lights.” I could feel the bloom of heat over take my cheeks at the admission. This realisation only caused Mike to heave over in laughter at the thought of our friends suddenly having the lights go out on them because of us making out.

I stood there with my arms crossed, rolling my eyes and trying not to laugh at the image as well. After a few minutes, Mike finally straightened up, gasping for air while wiping tears from his eyes.

He pulled me close and gave me a slow, sweet kiss, huge smile on his lips the entire time. “You and your powers,” he bobbed me on the nose lightly, making me scrunch it in response. “I’ll glad I can cause you to lose control a little, makes me feel like I’m not the only one crazy with feelings.” 

I nuzzled my nose into the crook of his neck and hugged him to me while giving a small shake of my head. “Never,” I placed a small kiss to the base of his throat as he let out a small groan.

“You, beautiful lady, are going to be the death of me.” I giggled at his overdramatic tone before dragging him in the direction of the stairs.

“We should make sure they aren’t creating more mayhem than normal.”

I heard another groan from behind me as I started climbing the stairs only to look back and see Mike staring at my ass hungrily. I bit my lip at the delicious tension his stare provoked in me, which wasn’t at all helped by him reaching up to grab half of it with one hand. “God, baby, you’re so fucking gorgeous.”

He climbed another step so that he could drop a kiss to the small of my back. My head fell back as my eyes slid closed at the ecstasy this incited. I could feel him climb a few more steps until he was one below me and I instinctively turned to face him.

Our lips connected in poorly restrained fervor and I greedily clung to his curls, him still palming my ass. “You and this dress are trying me give me blue balls, aren’t you?”

Pushing my slight surprise at his newly expressed straightforwardness aside, I looked at him with a glint in my eye. “It’s not really trying if I’m already succeeding, is it?” _Yup, drunk and horny El is saucy._ He hauled me close, his tongue finding its way back into my mouth with unbridled hunger.

“If there weren’t dozens of people here right now, I’d rip this thing off of you,” his voice had dropped a register and my underwear was as good as useless as I could feel wetness dripping down my thighs, no longer being restrained by the practically pointless scrap of lace.

I somehow managed to push him back enough to get air in my lungs, before giving him my own predatory look. “Later,” I answered as my finger traced his lips. He wrapped them around it, sucking gently on the tip. I felt the surge of electricity and heard people's panicked tones before checking my powers. 

I pushed him away, quickly climbing the rest of the way and opening the door to the kitchen, the light briefly blinding me. I had enough wits about me glance back at Mike at the last second, reaching out to wipe away the traces of my lipstick that had decorated his pale complexion. He chuckled before wiping smudges away from mine as well. Once deemed good enough, I stepped out into the noisy, crowded kitchen. Mike followed quickly behind me, grasping my hand as he shut the door to the basement.

It seemed the two electrical surges hadn’t caused too much pause and worry as I could still hear music blaring and people dancing and shouting at each other to be heard.

“Do you see them?” I yell as best I could only to have Mike shake his head and then guide me through the throng of people, glancing every direction as we passed.

We finally made our way out of the side door into the car port, where someone had set up a keg. I could hear excited shouts and people chanting out a count as we got closer. Seeing who it was that they were holding up for a keg stand had my jaw dropping to the ground.

“Will?!” He was up to 24 before tapping out, and as they set him back to rights he looked at us with cloudy eyes, drunk guys pounding him on the back.

“Elle Belle! Mikey!” He stumbled and wrapped us in an embrace just as we caught him. “Did you guys do it?!” He stared at me as if he had just asked only me and had not totally stage whispered to the both of us. Both of us flushed as Will plowed on, “You guys were gone for so long! *Hic* And then the lights went out! So we were convinced you guys were *hic* boning! Maxie made us come up here to continue the game, and Dustin *hic* he _kissed_ Betty! God, they would be *hic* so _fucking_ cute!” His fast talking and drunkenness had caused hiccups, but he wouldn't be restrained from telling his story. “And _then_ Maxie dared me to do a keg *hic* stand and now here you guys are!” He squeezed us close once more.

If Max wasn’t trashed by now, or didn't find Will’s drunkenness and hiccuping adorable, she would definitely kill him for calling her Maxie.

“Ellie!” I turned to see Max waving us over to where the rest of our friends were congregated further down the driveway by the back of the Mustang.

Mike and I supported Will between the two of us, resting him on the back bumper once we reached them. We had set him down just as Max reached over and embraced me with a little too much enthusiasm as all the air was crushed from my lungs. 

“There you are!” She pulled back from me enough to see my face before her gaze dropped down to a spot on my neck, her eyes going wide. “Holy shit! Is that a hickey?!” At least she was way better at whispering when drunk than Will. My hands fluttered to my neck, feeling for a tender spot, as my head turned frantically for Mike. 

He was standing by Dustin and Lucas, poorly attempting to fend off their good natured punches, slaps, and shoves, laughing at his friends’ ridiculousness. _Thank God he's handling it a shit ton better this time._ He glanced up at me, his eyes sparkling in humor, before his eyes dropped to where my hand was lingering. They flicked back up to my own now filled with mischief as he realized what he had done. I stuck my tongue out at him before turning back to Max.

“Geez! And your hair!” My hands twitched up to my tresses, feeling how mused they were from Mike’s hands. I would bet my life savings that I looked like a tomato from embarrassment. “How are you guys done already?! Is Wheeler seriously a two-pump chump?” I slapped her arm to shut her up, rolling my eyes at her insinuation.

“Max! We didn’t _do it_!” I hissed at her.

“Are you sure?! The lights even went out!”

“No! We just… we made out,” I finished lamely under my breath.

“Jesus Christ! He’s _that good_ of a kisser?!” she let out a low whistle. “Way to go Wheeler. Then again, you’ve had, what, more than 5 years of pent up sexual tension?! Seriously, it’s a miracle you guys didn’t have sex.”

I threw my hands up in exasperation. “Max!” she was laughing at my embarrassment, so I felt it was as good a time as any to drop the bomb on her. “Well, I may be biased, but I like to think that my boyfriend is the hottest kisser,” she was still laughing until her mind processed what I had just told her. Her eyes got huge as she looked at me smirking back at her before abruptly standing up.

“HOLY SHIT!” all our friends and some people standing close by all stopped talking to look at her. I just continued smirking, trying to tamper down my blushing from the attention as much as I could. She grabbed my hands and started jumping up and down, “Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!” She quickly pulled me into a bone crushing hug while still squealing in my ear. _I’m so going to be deaf in this ear_. My smile was the biggest it had ever been and her excitement over my new relationship only increased my own.

She let me go only to rush over to Mike and start punching him lightly while once again yelling out a series of “Holy shits!” He laughed at her antics while trying to dodge her throws as I looked on in amusement. Everyone around us was laughing at her absurd actions, but Max didn’t care.

I decided I should probably save Mike before my newly minted boyfriend, _God I love being able to call him that_ , actually somehow did get hurt. So after making my way over to my insane friend, I pulled her off of him before wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my ear against his chest.

“How about we don’t play Beat Up El’s Boyfriend?” I laughed at her with my best attempt at a scowl, given the circumstance. I could hear a hum of contentment echo through Mike’s chest where my ear was resting as his hands stroked down my leather covered back, his chin resting on top of my head.

“Yeah, Max,” I could hear the grin in his voice. “I vote we don't play Beat Up El’s Boyfriend.” She flicked him off but continued smiling at us as the rest of our friends caught on to what we said, several letting out loud whoops as Betty ran up and pulled me out of Mike's arms into a hug of her own while squealing into my ear. _Yup, definitely going to be deaf!_

“Hey Max!” I yell from Betty's embrace, causing my fiery haired best friend to stop clapping like a maniac and look at me. “My turn! Truth or dare!”

She rolled her eyes and stuck her hands on her hips. “C’mon, El! Obviously dare!”

Untangling myself, I try and think of a good enough dare. It won’t nearly be close to what she did to me, but I decided that she couldn’t get off too easy. After about a minute of contemplating, I finally go with, “I dare you to finish the handle of Billy’s vodka, and then do a trick on your skateboard while listing off all the nonsexual reasons you love Lucas. And yes, you have to keep your shoes on!” The group around us laughed and ooo’d since we all knew that while Max was not opposed to PDA, she hated talking about her feelings unless it was to Lucas or me.

She looked at me with a hard glint in her eye before sticking her middle finger up at me and turning to her car. She had to push Will off the back to open her trunk, but he was so drunk that he started to fall. If Adam hadn’t been there to catch him, he would have probably landed face first on the pavement.

I took notice of how Adam continued holding Will by the waist even after he had him upright, under the guise of supporting him. I kept an eye on them, suspect that there was definitely something developing there as I watched Will not as subtly lean into the taller blonde boy. A smirk pulled at my face as I felt Mike wrap his arms around me from behind, seeing what I was seeing.

“I hope that turns out ok,” he whispered into my ear as I nodded back, both of us desperate for Will to be happy. He went through so much as a 12 and the 13 year old, and then figuring out that he liked boys - which people at school had made fun of him for and called him horrible things for years until Will figured out how to hold his own - that he deserved every happiness the world had to offer.

Our attention turned back to Max as she pulled the eighth filled bottle of vodka and her skateboard from her trunk, setting the latter on the ground. She unscrewed the cap and tilted the bottle back against her lips. She drained it before throwing it back into her still open trunk and slamming the lid shut.

I was almost one hundred percent certain that Max had never used her skateboard in even one inch heels, let alone the four inch boots she was in now. Her saving grace was that the heels were thick enough. It took her a few tries to finally get situated on the board, a thing that was not at all helped by her intoxication, before she was able to balance herself enough.

She pushed herself so that she was out into the open area of the cul-de-sac, making a few loops to try and get her legs. I called out to remind her of the list to which she yelled back, “Yeah, yeah. I got it, asshole.”

Mike’s arms were crossed in front of me, essentially caging me in. I was adoring how easy the intimacies were for us. It was like the way we used to touch and interact but without the hang ups and resistance. It was just _right_ and _more_ and _perfect_. I snuggled deeper into his embrace as Max started shouting out her list to us so that we could hear.

“I love that he doesn’t take no for an answer when he knows that I really need to talk about something. I love that he is willing to help me without telling me I’m wrong. I love that he does everything in his power to apologize and make up to me when I get mad at him, even if he has to give me what I want against his friends’ wishes,” all of us thought back to our 13th year when Lucas caved and told Max our secret and how pissed Dustin and Mike were. 

“I love that he lets me escape from my home life and gives me a place to hide, even if he can’t even be there. I love that he puts up with Erica and I ganging up on him. I love that he is more than willing to kick people’s asses even though he knows I can handle myself. I love that he can make me feel like the most important person in the world the way that nobody else can. And I love that because of him, I have some of the most amazing people in my life.” She ended with a kick flip, before skating back to us, all of us cheering at her for her drunken prowess.

“You suck, Hopper,” she pointed at me before grabbing Lucas into a very overt display of affection that we all joking gagged to.

And so the night went, full of crazy antics and memories that we would reminisce on in few hours time. At one point there was a giant game of freeze tag going on in the backyard while Mike and I sat on the swings of Holly’s play set that I forced the boys to build two summers ago, claiming that now that Holly was 6 (at the time), she would want swings to play on. The real reason is because I wanted swings to play on but knew that Hopper would grumble about just going to the park or something instead. 

With a drink each in hand, we watched our friends and fellow classmates fondly and we had our hands intertwined talking about the absolute mundane topic of how the weather might be this summer, to the stressful topic about summer jobs and summer assigned reading, to the fantastical topic of a new D&D campaign that Mike was tossing around, to the deep conversation about stars and planets and galaxies far, far away. It was something that I loved about us, how easily we could flow from one topic to the next, nothing ever forced or stilted, following each other’s trains of thoughts like it was second nature.

Around 1:00 am the house party started winding down, the alcohol had run out and people were stumbling home, calling out to Mike how great of a party it was to which I nudged his shoulder and whispered “Bitchin’” causing the two of us burst into a fit of laughter and making passersby give us weird looks.

Eventually it was just the main Party members with an addition of Adam and Betty, and we had found our way into the Wheeler’s back family room, all of us crashing onto the couches and floor, laughing as we told Betty and Adam ridiculous stories about each other. 

At one point we ordered three pizzas from the only place in Hawkins that was open and delivered until 2:00 am as Max brought up one last beer for each of us that she had kept hidden in the basement.

We were snorting at Will’s terrible attempt at a southern accent when he tried imitating Adam while the rest of us were shoving the pizza into our mouths, moaning about how it was the best pizza in the world. For eight very drunk teenagers, some for the first time ever, there really was no better drunk food than this pizza. Eventually Will gave up his attempt with a pout and grumbled something about “cute accents like Adam’s are hard to come by,” causing us all to laugh at his drunken admission. Looks were tossed around by the other six of us when we saw Adam wrap his arm around Will to give him a side hug, not moving his arm away after.

Right around 2:00, Will started crashing and Mike offered his bed to him, which Will gratefully accepted with some assistance from Adam up the stairs. Dustin and Betty were curled up together on the large sofa, quickly falling asleep once they had enough room to stretch out. _They’re so cute_. I laid a blanket from Karen’s linen closet over top of them to keep them warm.

Lucas and Max prattled off something about the Sinclairs being down in Indianapolis for a dance competition of Erica’s before all but sprinting out the door, not in the least looking tired, and in fact looking very handsy.

Mike pulled me into his arms, his hands finding purchase on my butt, an area I was certain was quickly becoming a favorite spot for them to be.

“Is it later, yet?” he whispered against my lips, causing a shudder to run through me. I had started sobering up after several pieces of pizza and was amazed that I wasn’t feeling tired in the least. _Though, being horny probably has something to do with it._

I stroked my hand across his chest and tilted my head to the side. “Don’t you happen to have two drunk boys in your bed?” I remind him.

“Doesn’t have to be my bed,” he responded, his gaze locked on my lips, eyes hooded. 

I snorted, “Nancy’s bed and your parents’ bed don’t really sound appealing.”

He leaned down to nuzzle behind my ear, lightly biting my earlobe, and started sucking on my neck, creating the floodgates to open once more. I gasp out at the feeling of his lips on my skin, generating an exquisite torture on my senses.

He retreated enough to whisper, “I hear the Hopper house in empty,” before resuming his ministrations. His words race through my head, the idea burning pleasantly through my veins. Before I can lose my nerve, I pull him to the front door, laughing at his surprise as I begin all but running down the street. He quickly follows, catching me around my waist with one arm and spinning me around in a circle as the remnants of our laughter hang in the warm summer night air. 

It’s only a ten minute walk from his house to mine, a walk both of us had made an uncountable amount of times, so we knew the path like it was ingrained in our DNA which allowed us the freedom to just enjoy the breeze of warm June air sticking to our skin. At some point I had taken off my leather jacket, holding it in one hand as I spun in circles with my arms out to my side and my head thrown back to look at the stars, giggles bubbling from my lips as I thought about how giddy I was and how perfect of a night it has been. As I stopped, I could see Mike staring at me a few yards away, and as I stumbled from the heels and dizziness, he quickly caught me, making sure I was upright.

“What are you staring at?” I giggle, staring at his face as I bring my finger up to trace the freckles on his face. _Mmmm, my favorite stars._

“Those are freckles, not stars,” he laughs at my statement as I realized I must have said it out loud. He squeezed me close, “I’m staring at the angel that I must have stolen from heaven, since _I’ve never seen true beauty ‘til this night._ ” He grinned roguishly at me, and I threw my back in laughter.

“Did you just quote Shakespeare to me?” my giggles were unceasing. “In the middle of the night, in the middle of the street, in front of old Mrs. Gillespie’s house?” he chuckled at my statement.

“I thought that’s what boyfriends do? Don’t they recite poetry to their girlfriends?” he laughed at his own statement. “I was just taking cues from your favorite Mr. Darcy, sweetheart. _I have been used to consider poetry ‘the food of love.’_ ” I was snorting and smacking his chest at this point to get him to stop making me laugh. “I could listen to your laugh for ages,” he whispered honestly into the night, holding me tight in his embrace.

His words triggered a remembered quote of my own, one from his favorite book that we had read together numerous times. It wasn’t a favorite line of his, but it was of mine since whenever I read it I would instantly think of Mike and how much he meant to me. My laughter subsiding, I stared into his dark depths, “ _I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone_.”

His eyebrows shot up into his hairline as his face broke into the dreamiest smile. “Did my amazing girlfriend just quote _Lord of the Rings_ to me?” I blushed but didn’t respond, still drowning in his eyes. He slipped his hand into my curls at the base of my skull, drawing me in for the sweetest, most passion filled kiss yet.

Breaking apart in a fight for air, he panted out, “That was honestly the hottest, nerdiest thing ever,” and it was all I could do to not kiss him again. Instead, I took his hand in mine and all but sprinted the rest of the way to my house, which was thankfully four down the the Gillespies’.

I unlocked and threw the door open with my mind as we were sprinting up the steps of the porch, the fact that I had left my purse in the basement at Mike’s only vaguely registering as I pulled Mike in behind be, using my powers to slam it shut as we sprinted up the stairs.

 _Thank goodness Nancy and Jonathan are staying at Steve’s,_ flitted across my brain right before Mike all but slammed me against my open bedroom door, his mouth and hands suddenly everyone at once.

“God, baby,” he nipping and sucking across the exposed area of my chest, his hands wandering up my thighs and under my dress until he felt my bare ass in his hands, both of us letting out groans at the delicious sensation. His head fell forward onto my chest as mine fell back onto the door, his nibbles had ceased as all his focus was on his hands touching me.

I pushed them away as I turned to face the door, exposing my back and the zipper to him. His breathing on my neck came in hard pants as I could feel his hands shake slightly as he pulled my zipper down. He sprinkled kisses all across my upper back as I felt myself shivering, whether from nerves or anticipation, I wasn’t sure.

My dress fell to the ground as his hands ran down my back in reverence before spinning me back around to face him. His eyes greedily took me in as I stood there just the lace panties and bra, garter belt, stockings and heels. I could feel the animalistic hunger rolling off him in waves, tangling with my own desire and hanging thick in the air between us.

“Fuck, El. You’re so goddamn beautiful.” I flushed in pleasure at his words even as a fissure of self doubt fizzled across my mind, my arms jerking up to cross over my stomach. No one besides Max had really seen me like this, making me very self aware that this boy who dominated most of my thoughts was seeing me with very little boundaries for the very first time.

His hands caught mine at the wrists before I could complete my action, pushing my arms above my head and holding them against the door with one of his, his other tracing down my sides.

His eyes were wild with passion and dominance, the power behind everything he was doing feeling like it was about to snap like a taut string. Knowing that I held actual power and that normally Mike was beyond gentle with me, it caused my senses to feel like live wire as I surrendered over to him in something so instinctual and basic.

My nipples were tight, the lace not hiding anything, and my breasts felt heavy as Mike drank me in like a man dying of thirst. I could smell my own arousal that painted my thighs from here, the scent heavy in the air, and I could see his nostrils flare and his pupils dilated further.

His free hand had wandered down to my hip and then thigh, tracing over the garter belt as my breath came in even shorter pants and I became only sensation, my brain not being able to focus on anything but him. He pulled my thigh up to wrap around his hip and he continued stroking over the straps holding the stockings up.

“This is hot. You are the sexiest and most beautiful creature I have ever seen, but this?” he tapped on a thigh. “You’re a fucking vixen, my own damn temptress. If I go to hell because this, it would have been more than worth it baby.” My hands struggled to free themselves so I could wrap them in his dark locks. When he let them go I pulled his face to mine, attacking his lips in a fervor.

He grabbed my other thigh and lifted me against the door, my lace covered core meeting his hardness covered by the rough fabric of his jeans. We each moaned into the other’s mouth at the feeling and it felt like flames were licking all over my body. My head dropped back as his lips started nibbling and sucking their way across my collarbone and chest.

He turned us towards my queen bed that had been a birthday present from my parents last year, throwing me onto it without any warning as I let out a surprised “Oh!” He ripped off his shirt in quick succession, throwing it somewhere behind him as my throat constricted at the sight his slightly toned muscles. 

He wasn’t like the football players or anything, but his sinewy strength could be seen as with each tense breath, I could see the muscles from being a farm hand last year ripple underneath the surface. The trail of dark hair that went from his belly button to disappear in his jeans where there was a significant bulge had my mouth drying up and I was desperate to get my hands on him. _Fuck._

“I love it when you swear. It’s just so hot, especially when you’re looking at me like that,” he chuckled darkly as I once again realized that I had said it out loud. I squeezed my thighs together at his seductive tone. _This boy is pure sin_. My tongue shot across my lips to moisten them and Mike’s gaze followed it’s path closely.

I was up by the headboard with my legs bent and still squeezing together when he started to crawl up on all fours from the foot of my bed. When he was close enough, he reached out and grabbed one of legs, kissing my stocking covered calf while pulling off my heeled boot that I still had on. I desperately wanted to throw my head back in ecstasy, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away as he repeated the motions on my other foot. 

Once he was finished getting my shoes off and tossing them off the side of the bed, his hands followed an identical path up each of my legs, his thumbs brushing the sensitive skin of my inner thighs as he stopped mere inches from where I so desperately needed him. I felt my legs quake and my stomach exploded into a riotous mess of butterflies as I waited to see what he would do next.

He pressed soft kisses and tiny bites across my exposed skin while unclipping the stockings, my eyes slid closed as I could no longer focus on anything, my entire body was just nerve endings and I wasn’t even sure if I was breathing. I felt Mike slip one stocking off and then repeat once more on the other. Moans filled the air and in the back of my mind I knew they were coming from me, but the only thing grounding me were Mike’s slightly callused hands.

His mouth and hands ghosted along my skin as he raised himself farther up my body, surreptitiously avoiding any contact where I needed even a brush of his fingers. When he got to my breasts, he hovered above them, breath tickling me before lightly brushing a finger over one of my hardened peaks. My body spasmed as my back arched, trying to create more contact with this tormentor.

“Please!” I could hear myself whimpering, begging him for more, for a release from all of the heightened pleasure.

Either due to my pleading or his own break of resistance, Mike’s mouth was suddenly sucking one of my nipples through the delicate lace as his fingers found purchase on the other. If I wasn't careful, I’m sure we would start levitating soon. He switched sides, giving my other nipple attention from his sinful mouth while his fingers moved to pinch the just released one through the now soaking wet material.

My fingers tangled in his hair, attempting to pull his face closer as I let out a scream of pleasure, my body bowing off the bed. His mouth released me from my torture only for find my swollen lips, sucking my bottom lip into his mouth and driving me insane.

His hands rounded my body, stroking down to the small of my back to unfasten the clasps of my garter belt. It took him a few tries, but when he was finally successful he threw it off and I could hear the metal clasps make contact with what sounded like my mirror. 

His lips released mine too move their attention to my neck as his hands ran up my back to my bra clasp, making quick work of the eye hooks. My hands managed to still his before he pulled the cups of me and the heat in his stare was scorching.

“How do you know how to do that?” I couldn't keep the worry out of my tone. I might not have ever seen him pay special attention to another girl, but the masochistic part of me needed to know.

“Oh, u-uh, um,” he was stammering which increased my panic. He could see it in my eyes and he rushed on to admit, “Steve taught Dustin, Lucas and I two years ago. Uh, said it kills the vibe if you’re fumbling with it.” His hand scratched the back of his neck at the admission. The sense of dread that had been filling my stomach suddenly eased as I pictured how awkward it must have been for 15-year-olds being taught how to take off a bra. I couldn't help the laughter the scene created.

This was quickly followed by another rush of pleasure at the thought of Mike wanting me for years, enough to even go to Steve for advice, something he typically avoided. Giving into temptation, I sat up to connect our lips I'm reassurance and to show him all the passion I held for him.

My shaking hands grasped his and raised them to the straps of the bra, indicating my wish for him to take it off. He did so, full of nervous energy, our lips still locked firmly together. I felt the straps come off the edge of my fingers and we slowly pulled apart, his eyes staying locked on mine as he sat back on his heels between my spread thighs.

A drawn out “Fuck,” fell from his lips, making me flush under his hooded gaze as he took in my curves and pink tipped mounds. I rested back on my elbows to give him a better look, his staring giving me all the confidence I needed. “How did I get so lucky? How did the most beautiful being in the whole world consent to be mine?” His hands drifted up my sides and stopped when his thumbs brushed the underside of my boobs.

“Please, Mike. I need you,” I whispered as I guided him mouth back to my nipples, a string of curses leaving my mouth as his latched on gently. My fingernails were digging into his upper back as my body writhed at the wet heat of his mouth. It was all too good, yet not nearly enough.

I could hear my voice rasp out pleads for more as he ignored me, flicking one nipple with his tongue as he pinched the other between his fingers, plucking it as my back arched from the pleasure. I could feel it building in me, like a never ending stairway where I didn’t know how to reach the top.

He continued sucking and nibbling at my breast as his hand trailed down my stomach, lightly brushing against the wet material covering my center. He let out a groan and a swear, his mouth finally unlatching from me as my hips bucked against his hand.

“You’re dripping, baby,” he forehead resting on my chest as he stared down at where his hand was tracing me, his other forearm resting across my hips to keep me from throwing him off. His eyes snapped up to mine. “Baby, El. Can I see you? Please?” I nod my head, my breath still high and tight in my lungs.

Mike resumed sitting back on his heels as his hands gripped my underwear at my hips. Inch by delicious inch he slowly pulled it off, my feet lifting so he could remove them the entire way. And then he did something I had only read about in the books I had snuck from Joyce’s secret collection, he brought it up to his nose and inhaled, his eyes drifting shut, committing my scent to memory.

His eyes snapped open to mine when a moan of pleasure escapes my throat, the corded muscles in his neck tensing and a muscle twitching in his jaw, his self control balancing on the edge of a knife. He flicks his eyes down to the apex of my thighs and lets out a strangled sound.

In a second his body is over me, aligned perfectly with mine, his hand tight on my hip, making sure I can’t move it to buck into him. I let out my own whimper to let him know of my discontent at this, and he just gave me the wickedest grin in return. His hand traces my hip before slowly sliding over, hovering above my heat.

My nails dig into his shoulder, my voice coming out choked. “Please. Baby, please, touch me!” It was the first time I had ever called him a pet name, and of course it is while I’m begging for release. As if having been waiting for my consent and request, his fingers ran through my slick folds and a gurgled gasp bubbled out of my throat.

As his index finger found my clit and started circling it, I all but screamed from the intensity. My hand shot down to his wrist, fingers wrapping tightly around him, not to stop him but rather to attempt to ground myself with _something_. The door to my room slammed shut as any subconscious grasp on my powers broke.

His fingers were stroking me and his lips were on my neck as I felt him whisper against my skin, “El, let me taste you. Please, baby, you smell amazing, I _need_ to taste you.” His words weren’t registering but at this point he could ask anything of me and I would say yes, as long as he never stopped touching me.

I managed to get out a broken “Yes,” before his body shifted down so his cheek rested on my inner thigh, his fingers slowing a bit to release a little bit of the tension. My fingers unwrapped from his wrist only to tangle in his hair, his breath playing over my wetness.

His self control to attempt to just admire me didn’t last long as the scent of my heat and swollen lower lips broke him. His tongue traced my outer lips before quickly giving in and delving deeper, his fore and middle finger spreading me open. I felt my body wracking with broken sobs at the sensation, the wire in me taut and ready to snap with just a little _more_.

He kept at this as my fingers twisted in his locks in a way that I was sure would leave his scalp sore later. He finally stuck one finger and then two into my dripping channel to stretch me as his tongue continued its torturous ministrations on my clit.

As I felt his fingers curl, he hit a spot that caused me to see stars and for the wire in me to snap. I felt myself gushing and my core tightening around him as my scream of “Mike!” pierced the air. The back of my brain noticing the faint sound of glass cracking before any and all sound was drowned out by the rushing of blood and my heartbeats in my ears.

He eased his fingers out of me as I lay there twitching and floating back down from my high. I saw him stick his fingers in his mouth, his eyes sliding closed as my head lolled to the side, holding it up being too much of an effort.

When his eyes opened again, he grinned at me, all devil and dominance, as he slid off the side of my bed to stand next to me.

“Too many clothes,” I gurgled out, my hand making a sad attempt at motioning to his jeans which were strained against his hard on. “That was amazing,” my eyelids drooped as my limbs sluggishly moved against my bed sheets.

“You tasted delectable, sweetheart,” his voice was a husky purr to my ears.

“Mmmm. I still want you,” it was true. As content as I was, I could feel how much his fingers weren’t even close to what I really wanted. The whole night had been leading to this and I sure as fuck wasn't going to settle with oral satisfaction, no matter how amazing that pouty mouth of his had been.

“I’ll never stop wanting you, El,” he was smiling from his position and I could feel the flames of arousal licking me again as I admired his form. My body was still recovering from all he had done to it, but I reached out with my mind and flicked the button on his jeans open and forced the zipper down.

He had his hands on his hips as he started to laugh at my actions and I just gave him a lazy grin in response. He pressed a deep kiss to my lips, where I could still taste myself on him, before righting himself and pushing his jeans and boxers down his legs and stepping out of them and his socks.

I managed to turn to my side as I greedily drank him in, my bottom lip between my teeth. He was all lean muscle, having started to grow out of his lanky phase from his part time job. He was still far more pale than me, due to usually electing to spend his free time indoors, but his milky complexion only brought out his dark hair and eyes. He was delicious and he was mine. _All mine_ , a smirk graced my lips.

I continued admiring him as my hand reached out to pull him closer to me. Once he was close enough I pushed myself up onto one of my hands as our other hands untwined and I traced my fingers across his body. His eyes fell shut in pleasure and I could feel the hum of his contentment.

My fingers brushed lower and lower until I traced across his hip and his hand shot out to still it, his eyes boring into me. “That’s enough of that,” the dominance in his tone coming through. My legs involuntarily squeezed together, more than ready for _more_.

He placed a hand at my neck before closing the distance for a bruising kiss, his restraint nonexistent. He climbed back onto my bed, lining his body up with mine, my back arching to brush my nipples against his chest. We both swore at the tingling that raced through each of us, as his hand grabbed the back of my thigh and wrapped it around his slim hip, opening me further to him.

He looked into my eyes, making sure I was with him. “I need to know now, El, if you want me to stop. This is it for me, you’re it for me. You’re all I’ve dreamed about and hoped for. I need to know that you are beyond sure that you want this.”

I cupped his face in my palm, my eyes locked onto his. It didn’t matter that we were naked and that we were about to lose our virginity to each other. It didn’t matter what everyone had always said about the likelihood of childhood sweethearts not working out and that there would be others in the world, or whatever bullshit people spewed. I knew in this moment, that this was the moment.

“Michael Wheeler, you are it for me. And I’m not just say this because I really want you to fuck me already,” his nostrils flared and I took a deep breath to steady myself. “I love you.” His eyes widen at my admission before his lips were crushing against mine, his tongue begging for entrance into my mouth, which I gladly grant him.

“I love you, El. God, fuck, I love you so much. Fuck, you’re amazing and unbelievable and I’m the fucking luckiest asshole alive,” his forehead rested against mine as my face broke into a smile at his own admission.

“Now please put your dick in me,” his eyes widened and nostrils flared at my choice of words before his gave me one last kiss before focusing back on lining himself up. 

My head fell back as his tip pushes against my entrance and I tensed. “Baby, you have to relax otherwise it will hurt,” his thumb was brushing across my cheek so gently. I nodded and took a deep breath as I slowly forced my muscles to loosen. I had to repeat the process with every inch he gave me, but after several minutes of patience on his end, I felt him bottom out in me.

I gasped at the feeling of being so full in a way I had never imagined. Even breathing made my nerves stand on end, every tiny movement heighten. He collapsed onto his elbows over me, the tension of trying not to push too far too fast finally draining out of him as he held himself still inside me.

“Holy fuck,” he breathes into my ear. As I finally feel myself fully adjust to him, I squirm and squeeze him between my thighs to let him know I’m ok. “Why didn’t I feel anything pop?” he asked, looking down at me.

I laugh and roll my eyes at his slight panic. “That’s just a myth. That only happens if the girl isn’t really ready when the guy enters, and if they don’t take it slow like we did. Joyce told me.” He seemed surprised at me knowing something about biology and human anatomy that he didn’t. I laughed again but the sensation of him filling me caused both of us to moan in pleasure.

One of his hands reach down to hitch my leg higher on his waist, the change in angle causing me to gasp. “Mike, please. I need you to move,” I begged and I watched as the need for dominance overtook him once more.

He began rolling his hips, slowly pumping in and out of me, emotions racking my body with things I had never felt before. My nails found purchase on his back as I tried to bring him closer to me.

“Faster, baby. Please! Mike please!” I was whimpering, the wire being to coil tighter than before as his hand that had been holding my leg shot down to where we were connected, flicking his thumb over my clit as my hips rose to try and meet his thrusts.

He picked up his speed a little as beads of sweat started to form on his body, his breath coming out in harsh pants. “Fuck, sweetheart. You’re so fucking gorgeous. So fucking tight for me. Your pussy is fucking amazing,” his thrusts had found a punishing rhythm and his words left me breathless.

We were both so close, right on the edge of the cliff about to jump. He grabbed one of my legs from his waist and pulled it over his shoulder just as he increased the speed his pounding, his thumb brushing over my clit as his other hand was white knuckled gripping onto my iron headboard. And just like that, I crested the wave, flying into freefall as the wire finally snap, Mike following closely behind me, my scream of his name loud enough to wake the neighbors. 

I heard Mike shouting my own name, and the sound of something shattering just as blackness pulled me under.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter definitely took on a life of it's own. Sorry :)  
> Thank you for all the kind words and encouragements!  
> I tried not to rush too much, but I was trying to get to the end scene for this chapter but as I was going I realized that there was so much to include between point A and B, so you guys got 21 pages of the night.  
> I hope you liked it! Please feel free to leave any comments, concerns, suggestions, etc. in the comment area below :)  
>   
> xo.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have changed the rating from explicit to mature due to feeling like the scenes don't justify it needing to be rated E.

I heard a child scream. _What in the world?_ As I looked around trying to place where I was, I could see a stove with various pots and pans of food cooking, an open and airy kitchen that I would kill for, and a wooden spoon in my hand. _Odd._

I heard the scream again, and though I had no clue who it belonged to or where I was, my heart suddenly felt like it was in my throat and my feet set me running in the direction of the screams.

This house was unfamiliar, but somehow my body knew exactly where it needed to go. I ended up in the front room of the house to see two children halfway up a set of stairs and Mike on the second stair landing facing them.

“Mike!” was out of my mouth before I could process what was happening and he turned to look at me. Only, it wasn’t Mike. This man was taller, shoulders more broad, dressed in scrubs and small laugh lines in the corners of his mouth and eyes, indicating an older age. Being older, however, he was as handsome as sin.

“Ellie!” he replied jovially just as the little girl on the stairs screamed “Daddy!” before launching herself at him. The feeling of my heart in my throat throttled me just as the man caught her, both laughing happily. _Is this an older Mike?_

He set her down as the younger boy on the stairs declared that is was his turn. Once her feet hit the ground the small girl took off running to me. My arms instinctively opened and scooped her up, as if I had done this a million times. Her arms wrapped around my neck as she buried her face into my hair, cuddling herself into me. “Mommy” fell from her lips in a soft sigh, and my heart soared as my brain continued to puzzle out what was happening.

The man that I was assuming was an older version of Mike sauntered over with the boy in his arms, wrapping his free arm around me and the girl. He kissed my forehead just as the thoughts of _Mine_ and _Home_ flitted through my mind.

It all faded and I found myself on my bed in my familiar bedroom. Only there was no Mike, instead my arms were full of a crying heap of red hair that I assumed belonged to Max.

“You have to tell him,” I heard myself saying as her sobs shook the both of us.

“I c-can’t! He b-broke up w-with me, remem-mber?!” she was a mess and inconsolable.

“I know, Maxie, but he deserves to know,” my hands stroked her hair, trying my best to reason with her.

“He’s already left for basic! What am I supposed to do, write in a letter?! _‘Dear Lucas, I know you broke my heart and you’re busy with the army, but I’m pregnant and my step-dad kicked me out. Hope training is going well! PS, the baby is yours.’_ He doesn’t want me, El.”

“Yes, he does. He’s just being his typical self and panicking because society and it’s stupid ‘norms’, and he didn’t want to hold you back. His logical side is too logical.”

“What am I going to do, Ellie? I have nowhere to go. And college! What about classes?!” her sobs had calm, though the tears hadn’t. My arms tighten around her, squeezing all the love I had for my best friend into it.

“You’ll stay with me, I’ll be with you every step of the way, and so will the guys. We’ll all take turns to watch this little one when you need to go to class. You have a support system, you are never alone,” I rocked her back and forth until everything faded once more.

I was lounging on a pool deck chair in a backyard I didn’t recognize. The heat of the summer sun warmed my skin as the smell of hot dogs and burgers hit my nose causing me to groan in hunger. There was a laugh from behind me that shook my body just as hands that didn’t belong to me stroked my stomach. _MY STOMACH!_ It was as big and round as a beach ball!

“The peanut hungry?” the one voice I would know anywhere, only a tiny bit deeper and slightly smoother, breathed into my ear. Mike. As much as my mind was still panicking over the state of my stomach, I felt myself relax into his chest.

“She could eat,” I smirked while glancing back at him. He wasn’t as old as the first Mike I saw in this… wherever I was. However, he was older than his 17-year-old self, yet again. _Please let these be visions and not just dreams._ I could feel myself pleading with whatever deity or higher power was out there to grant my wish.

“Which she?” he laughed again.

“Mmmmm, both,” he dropped a kiss on my nose before unwinding himself from behind me and meandering over to the grill which Lucas was manning with a small baby girl on his hip while talking to his father.

“Adian Sinclair!” my head snapped in the direction of Max’s voice a few yards away where she had grabbed a very curly headed boy of about 6, lecturing him as he tried to pull away. “I told you to leave your grandma alone while she is decorating the cake!”

“Oh, Maxine, it’s alright! I love my baby boy!” I could see Mrs. Sinclair call over from a picnic table that was almost bowing in fruits and sweets. “Come help your grandma, Ace.” 

The little boy took off running as my red headed best friend threw her hands up before coming over and plopping down in the chair next to me.

“Be happy you’re having a girl, El. I pray that Angie isn’t as troublesome as her brother,” she fanned herself with the giant hat she had been wearing.

I laughed while looking in the direction of the grill, where Dustin had joined in the conversation between Mr. Sinclair, Mike and Lucas. “With you two as parents, she doesn’t have a prayer.”

“Ugh. Please don’t say that. With me as her mother and Erica as her aunt, she’s going to drive Lucas up a wall. I just hope they don’t hate me,” she tacked on the last sentence quietly.

I reached over to grab her hand, “They won’t. You both are amazing parents. And Lucas,” I looked once more to the grill area, “it’s like he was made to be a father.”

“Yeah,” I glanced over to see her looking in the direction of her childhood sweetheart with the sappy look I knew I sported when it came to Mike. “He’s amazing.”

“How’s my niece doing?!” Will suddenly appeared next to my chair, holding his hands out to haul me up. He reached out to rub my belly just as Mike wandered back over only to wrap me back up in his arms.

“Watch it, Byers. That’s my wife you’re feeling up,” Will threw his hands up as I giggled. 

Mike’s lips started placing small kisses on my neck and shoulders and I let out a contented sigh, softening in his embrace as my eyes fell shut at the feeling, the world around me faded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all the amazing people who have commented, giving kudos, and followed this story! Since my last update I was busy cramming for "running" my first marathon (more like walking and running), and then having a major bout of depression.  
> This chapter was a lot shorter because it was actually part of what I'm thinking will be the final chapter, but I have been extremely stuck in how I want the middle part of it to go.
> 
> Please leave comments below! I love them! They've made me feel better these last few months just rereading them, and have helped with the bits of the next chapter I have done so far.
> 
> Thank you lovelies for everything


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